



Class P-'Z 7 
Book 

I 

Copight 'H° 


COPYRIGHT DEPOSnv 


B* 

*VtL 


fix 

uv 

f'-.-r 

< 








m M 

J 


V t 



, . ; ■■ ■* V V ' **• * * '■'* 

♦ IX?, • •■'i ■ ■. -v * 






. .*^- ^ iP^ ■f, * 

>V I*-- * » ^ '• 

- ■ ^ *• -^ « ^ V.L- -fc- ' '■ - rJ si 

'^. i»fe> -• SfciJJi ‘^’‘ • Jl 






■4.1. 




* fh. 


t • 


w'VC>.y '* - 


I / 


• « O 






.-> - 


I - 




• 5 , j- ^ 

^ J. 


‘ .1 


■ 


Vr 


ii * 


• f 


* c 


*4 jii • 


f * 


■'.- 1 




<*r 


I 


I • 

^ -. 41 . 


• '« 


.,i 


t ■•• 






:s 




. 




-i 


,l kl 


. ;?‘r. 



The Alley Cat’s Kitten 




Illustrated from Photographs 
by the Author 


Boston 

Little, Brown, and Company 
1904 


UB»«RVAf00WeRE8S 
TV(^ Oottifs ?feceived 

SEP 16 1904 

doDSfrt^ht Entry 
zLeyfo /(s> 

0LAS3 (Z xxo. Na 
COPY B 


k 


Copyright, igo4. 

By Little, Brown, and Company. 


All rights reserved 


Published October, 1904 



THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE, U. S. A. 


TO HER 


WHO HELPED US BUILD THE RABBIT HOUSES, 

AND 

BEFRIENDED ALLEY CATS 









Contents 


CHAPTER ONE Pags 

The Alley Cat i 

CHAPTER TWO 

The Alley Cat’s Kitten 9 


CHAPTER THREE 

The Black Rabbit with White Spots, and the 


White Rabbit with Black Spots .... 22 

CHAPTER FOUR 

A Calico Cat 37 

CHAPTER FIVE 

Mr. and Mrs. Blueberry 54 

CHAPTER SIX 

Uncle Cyclone 72 

CHAPTER SEVEN 

The Family in the Piano Box 

vi\ 


88 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER EIGHT Page 

A Loss AND Some Gains io6 

CHAPTER NINE 

At the Lake ii8 

CHAPTER TEN 

On the Farm 136 

CHAPTER ELEVEN 

The Son of Silver Bell ^ , . . 152 

CHAPTER TWELVE 

Clytie, the Cat with Mittens 164 

CHAPTER THIRTEEN 

Torn-Nose 176 

CHAPTER FOURTEEN 

A Visiting Lady 1^0 

CHAPTER FIFTEEN 


OCTAVIA . 


205 


List of Illustrations 


Full-Page Illustrations 

“There was never any sleep after the kitten was 

in the room ” Frontispiece v/ 

“ Mrs. Wood, creeping down with her candle, in- 
terrupted a grand game of tag between all the 
animals ” Page 83 ^ 

“ As her door opened, Weejums shot out with 
a swelling tail, and her enraged victim in 
pursuit” “ 197 

Illustrations in the Fext 

The Alley Cat Puge 5 

She missed her own mother “ 13 

If she could have seen how sweet she looked . . “ 15 

He was naturally inelegant in his language . . . “ 36 

A little girl’s young mother cat “46 

Mr. and Mrs. Blueberry “64 

In a Mother Hubbard wrapper and a straw hat . . “ 66 

Weejums helps receive “ 71 


IX 


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 


Cyclone 

Fairy Lilian “ i 

A nice warm muffin “ i 

Weejums had not only one new ribbon, but many . “ i 

The sash was not too tight to allow for dinner . . “ i 

Torn-Nose “ i 

A Red Cross cat . “ i 

A visiting lady “ i 

Mrs. Winslow “ i 

A Christmas present, with Eunice’s love ... ‘*2 

Weejums “ 


73 

05 

;i4 

37 

73 

83 

88 

93 

95 

17 


220 


The Alley Cat’s Kitten 


CHAPTER ONE 

THE ALLEY CAT 

HE had not really minded being 
an Alley Cat until the kittens 
came. But every one who has 
had children knows . that one 
feels being poor much more 
keenly on their account, than on one’s own. 
And the strawless corner of a deserted shed 
did not seem a suitable bed for her mother’s 
grandchildren. 

The Alley Cat took no pride in her own 
appearance. Indeed, it had been said when 
she was born that her mother, the blooded 
tortoise-shell of a beautiful home, had never 
produced such a terrible kitten. She would 
I I 




THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


not have been allowed to live, if an accident 
had not deprived her mother of the others. 
And as she grew up even her own parent 
saw that she was homely. 

It may be thought that homely cats have 
no feelings ; but this is not the case, for 
homely cats, like plain people, are sensitive, 
and have even more feelings than others. So 
one day when some particularly unkind re- 
mark had been made about the brindled 
kitten with yellow sides, she left her home 
and ran away to become an alley cat. 

She was sorry for this afterwards, of course, 
like every other kitten that runs away. But 
she would not go home, and slept all summer 
in empty boxes and under the barns of people 
who did not like cats. She visited garbage 
pails, and learned to dash off with the others 
when the maid opened the kitchen door. She 
learned to walk on her stomach when crossing 
the street, and by the time that winter came, 
she had cobwebs in her whiskers, and looked 
at everybody out of frightened green eyes. 

2 


THE ALLEY CAT 


She was naturally a good mouser, but when 
the weather grew cold, people shut up their 
barns, and every cat knows that the open-air 
mice who live around unused sheds are very 
poor eating. But she managed to get along 
until the kittens came, and then she became 
desperate enough to beg at back doors, and 
purr for a piece of meat. But some people 
cannot appreciate even the finest kind of a 
purr, and the Alley Cat’s purr was hoarse and 
miserable like herself. 

“ I once had a good soprano,” she told 
the friendly barn cat who brought her a sec- 
ond joint of rat. But I ’m out of voice 
now, being up so much daytimes with the 
kittens.” 

There were only two kittens, — one ugly like 
herself, and the other the very image of that 
beautiful mother who had never loved her. 
But the Alley Cat remembered this, and made 
a point of loving the ugly kitten best. 

It was soon after their eyes were opened 
that the coldest weather came, and the Alley 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


Cat made her first acquaintance with The 
Back Yard. 

She had visited other back yards in her 
time, but this was very different, because kind 
children played there, — the children of a 
mother who loved all helpless things. It is 
true that she did not particularly yearn after 
alley cats, and was glad when this one refused 
to be tamed, and brought into the house. 

But she said, ‘‘You may put some milk and 
meat for her out on the coal box, Eunice. 
She probably knows who she is, even if we 
don’t ! ” 

So very often after that, when the Alley Cat 
leaped with a crash of snow and icicles to 
the side fence, she would smell a nice warm 
luncheon waiting for her on the coal box, and 
go home with a happy, purring heart. 

But just before Christmas, the family went 
away on a visit and the house was closed, so 
when the crash of icicles came, and an anxious 
gray face looked over the fence, there was noth- 
ing to be seen or smelled that a body could eat. 

4 


THE ALLEY CAT 


The pleasant barn cat who had brought her 
the second joint of rat, came to tell his friend 
of a place that he had found down-town be- 
hind a restaurant, where many things could 
be had without asking. He was really a very 
kind cat, although he had but one hole in his 
nose, instead of two, owing to the partition 
having been torn through in a fight. 



THE ALLEY CAT 


But she could not move her kittens, and 
indeed had told him very little about them, 
fearing that he might not like children. 

It was soon after this that the gray kitten 

5 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


died, and the tortoise-shell kitten became so 
thin that there was scarcely room on her sides 
for all her beautiful tortoise-shell spots. But 
it was not until the day before Christmas that 
the family of kind children came home; and 
that night, when the mother and grandmother 
were out in the woodshed unpacking holly 
wreaths, the Alley Cat came into the yard. 
The mother of the children noticed her at 
once, because there had been a heavy snow, 
and her little dark figure showed quite plainly 
against it. “ Mother, that cat is carrying 
something. I believe it ’s a kitten ! ’’ she said, 
and went to the door to look. 

The Alley Cat came with her head held 
high, for it was a heavy kitten, and her poor 
little back strained under the burden. But 
she managed to reach the shed, and laid her 
baby at the feet of Her who loved all helpless 
things, then turned and went out again into 
the snow. 

“ Mother, did you see that ? Ah, Mother, 
look ! ’’ She took up the kitten with pitiful 
6 


THE ALLEY CAT 


hands, and held it to her cheek. Its little 
nose was quite white with cold, and snow was 
on its tail. 

Do you suppose there *d be any danger in 
keeping it ? she asked. “ Eunice wants a 
kitten dreadfully, and has been praying for one 
every night for a month.** 

Danger ? what nonsense ! 1 *11 disinfect 
it,** Grandmother said sharply. Somebody 
heard that prayer, if the Lord did n*t, and the 
cat *s come for Christmas morning.** 

“It*s a perfect beauty, even if it is thin,** 
said the children*s mother. But it *s pretty 
young to keep.** 

“ I kept my babies when they were younger 
than that, and I *11 warrant this cat won*t make 
half so much trouble. Besides, its mother 
trusted you, so there *s nothing else to do.** 
But it was not until after they had warmed 
some milk for the kitten, and Grandmother 
had wrapped her up in a First Aid bichloride 
bandage, that they remembered how the Alley 
Cat had gone out again into the night. 

7 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


‘‘She looked hungry,” said the children’s 
mother, with tears in her eyes, “ and I know 
she must have been hungry. But she thought 
she was n’t wanted, and went away. Oh, poor 
Alley Cat ! ” 

She opened the outside door, and called, 
“ Come back, kitty, come back, poor kitty, 
kitty ! Come back, poor kitty-cat ! ” 

But nothing entered except the wind and 
the snow. And they never saw the Alley Cat 
again. 


8 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


CHAPTER TWO 

THE ALLEY CAT’s KITTEN 

UNICE and Kenneth were 
allowed to get up at six o’clock 
on Christmas morning, if they 
would promise not to wake 
anybody else. But this was a 
very funny rule, because when they ran into 
the play-room where the stockings were hung. 
Mother and Grandmother were always there 
before them ; and Franklin, who had pre- 
tended to be fast asleep, would give a wild 
whoop from behind his door. This happened 
every time, and for years afterwards the strik- 
ing of a match would set Eunice’s heart beat- 
ing, and she would think, Oh, it ’s Christmas, 
and six o’clock has come ! ” when it might not 
be Christmas at all, and she would have to 
shake herself very hard to remember that she 
was grown-up. 



9 



THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


This morning Kenneth was the first to 
reach the play-room, and so it was he who 
first saw — but Grandmother grabbed him by 
the seat of his legged nighty, and put her hand 
over his mouth, saying, “Wait till Eunice 
comes ! ” 

It was then that Eunice saw too, and gave 
a little squeal of delight, — the kind that she 
always gave when she saw one, although she 
had never seen one looking out of the top of 
a stocking before. And this one had a lace 
ruff around its neck. Otherwise the stocking 
was just as usual, all bunchy, with a queer, fat 
foot made by the orange in the toe. But she 
could not believe that what she saw at the top 
of the stocking was true. 

“ Bang ! went Kenneth on one of his new 
noisy presents that Franklin had given him ; 
and “ E-ow ! ” went the thing in the top of 
Eunice’s stocking. Then it was true after all ! 

“ Do take her out, quick ! ” said Mrs. Wood, 
laughing. “ I ’m so afraid she ’ll stick to the 
candy elephant underneath.” 


10 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


“ There, I 'm glad that ’s over ! ” said 
Grandmother, with a sigh. “ I was n’t up 
with her but seven times last night.” 

“ Are n’t you going to look at your other 
things ? ” asked Kenneth, blissfully sucking a 
hind leg of sugar dog. 

“Oh, Mother, it has white toes!” Eunice 
cried. 

“ Say, Mother, this is bully ! ” exclaimed 
Franklin, from the other side of the room 
where his table was set. Franklin considered 
himself too old to hang up a stocking now. 

“ My present for Grandma ’s on the break- 
fast-table,” Kenneth explained. “It cost 
thirteen cents. Eunice’s did n’t cost but 
nine.” 

“ And a white end to its tail,” said Eunice. 

“ This book ’s better than the one that other 
fellow had,” said Franklin. 

“ And it spit at me — such a cunning baby 
spit 1 Mother, did you hear it spit ? ” 

“ Well, I believe that I ’ll take another 
nap,” said Grandmother, with a yawn. 


II 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


“ I 'll go back and get dressed/' said Mrs. 
Wood. “ Kennjr dear, sit off that gum-drop, 
please. And don't eat but three candy animals 
before breakfast." 

Eunice did ! " 

“ Never mind what Eunice does. It 's your 
business to look after Kenny. Yes, Mother, 
I 'm coming." 

And before the children had really looked 
at all their presents, it was breakfast-time. 

What 'll you name your cat ? " asked 
Franklin over the oatmeal. All Franklin's 
rabbits had names, and could tell each other 
apart. 

“ I don't know yet," said Eunice. ‘‘ I think 
I 'll have to wait and see what her yell is." 

Eunice had a language of what Franklin 
called yells," in which she talked to all 
animals, and the strange part of it was that 
the animals seemed to like it. Some of these 
yells were a kind of song, and others appeared 
to mean certain things which the animals 
understood. 


12 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


Eunice did not call her new Christmas 
present “Kitty, kitty,” but “ Wee-je-wee-je, 
wee-je, kim um sing ! ” which meant “ Come.” 
So in a few days the kitten was known as 
“Weejums,” and Eunice said that Weejums 
had chosen the name for herself. 



SHE MISSED HER OWN MOTHER " 


She was a very lonely little kitten at first, 
and spit at everybody who tried to feed her. 
But this was only because she missed her own 

13 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


mother, and had not yet learned to trust these 
new friends. She wept nights, and her baby 
face sometimes had the look of quite an old 
cat, it was so sad. 

‘‘ And she never smiled,” Eunice said after- 
wards, “ until I learned how to make that same 
pur-r-ow in my throat that the Alley Cat did.” 
Then she decided that she had made a mistake 
after all, and that Eunice was her mother. 

She learned to come to Eunice’s door every 
morning with a little soft ‘‘ E-ow ? ” followed 
by a very fierce “Wow!” if she was not let 
in. Sometimes she came so early that Eunice 
would be sleepy, but there was never any sleep 
after the kitten was in the room, for she was 
one of the dreadfully playful kind ; when- 
ever Eunice moved her toes, she would spring 
at them, worrying the bedclothes with wide 
bites, and soft thudding hind-kicks. And if 
put down on the floor, she would leap back 
instantly to dab at Eunice’s eyelashes, or tangle 
herself joyously in her hair, chewing very hard 
as the curls became caught in her teeth. 

14 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


She never came to any other door, or spoke 
to any other member of the family, and 
seemed to know that she was Eunice’s cat. 



“IF SHE COULD HAVE SEEN HOW SWEET SHE LOOKED” 


But she hated to be dressed in dolls* 
clothes, and would switch her tail very hard, 
and sit down back to,” whenever dolls were 
mentioned. Of course if she could have seen 

15 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


how sweet she looked with her paws sticking 
out of a frilled sleeve, and her whiskers show- 
ing daintily against the dark blue of a velvet 
bonnet, she would not have minded at all. 
But she refused to look in the glass when 
held up to it, and only slanted back her eyes 
and ears in a bored way that Eunice called 
Chinese dignity.” 

One day Mrs. Wood was receiving some 
very elegant people in the parlor, when Wee- 
jums came, or rather rolled into the room. 
She had on a sunbonnet, and a pair of dolls’ 
riding pants, which were so tight that her tail 
had to be curled around inside like a watch- 
spring. This gave her a most peculiar gait, 
as her front legs advanced in stiff hops, and 
her hind legs went to places that her front 
legs had not planned at all. 

Mrs. Wood’s back was towards the door, 
and she did not see Weejums until the 
Senator and his wife began to laugh. Then 
she pounced on the kitten and carried her 
out, feeling very much mortified, although 

i6 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


she knew that she should laugh herself when 
the callers were gone. 

But Weejums had reason to be glad that 
she had run into the parlor that day, for it 
put an end to the most uncomfortable part 
of the dressing-up. After this, Mrs. Wood 
forbade Eunice to dress the kitten in any 
garment that was not built to contain a tail. 

But Weejums still took part in all the plays 
that Eunice thought of, and even went coast- 
ing with her on the blue sled. Her tail 
always swelled before they reached the bottom 
of the hill, but it went back to its normal size 
again soon afterwards, and she liked being 
pulled up the hill on the sled, without having 
to put her pink toes into the snow. 

One Saturday afternoon, the children all 
went to see “ Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” and came 
home talking very fast about Topsy and Eva, 
and the real bloodhounds, “ as big as calves,” 
that chased Eliza across the ice. 

“There will be scenes from ‘Uncle Tom’s 
Cabin’ in the nursery to-day, at four,” Eunice 

2 17 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


announced at breakfast one morning. “ It 
will be the first appearance of Weejums on 
any stage.” 

Mrs. Wood said that she would come, and 
bring some ladies who were to call that after- 
noon, and Franklin came, and brought some 
boys who were helping him build the new 
rabbit-house. 

The price of admission was four pins ; and 
Cyclone, the dog, was tied near the door, with 
a pincushion strapped to his back for a money- 
box. Cyclone whined and looked miserable 
whenever a pin approached, for he knew that 
he had a sign, “ Pay Here,” fastened to his 
collar, and thought it meant that the pins 
were to be stuck into him. 

When everything was ready, Eunice threw 
open the folding doors between her room and 
the nursery, and said in a solemn voice, “ First 
Tableau. ‘ Of such is the Kingdom of 
Heaven ! ' ” 

The tableau was Kenneth, standing in a 
high chair, buttoned into one of his mother’s 

i8 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


corset covers, which reached nearly to his feet. 
The grown-up audience was wondering what 
this had to do with LFncle Tom’s Cabin,” 
when Franklin said, “Oh, pshaw! that’s 
wrong. That part does n’t come in yet.” 

“ It does said Eunice, putting her head 
out from behind the door. 

“ Does sOy' echoed Kenneth from the high 
chair. 

“ Aw, you must n’t talk,” jeered Franklin. 
“You’re nothing but the nightmare Uncle 
Tom saw in the last act.” 

“ Ain’t either 1 ” said Kenneth, bursting a 
button off the heavenly robe, in his wrath. 
“ I ’m little Eva.” 

“It’s no fair talking,” said Eunice. “Mother, 
is it fair talking to the tableaux ? ” 

“ Let ’s have the next scene,” said one of 
the ladies, applauding very hard. 

“Oh, yes,” said Eunice,looking quite pleased. 
“ The next scene is Eliza crossing on the ice, 
pursued by the fierce bloodhound.” 

Eunice was Eliza, and Weejums was the 

19 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


bloodhound, and the cakes of ice were news- 
papers spread on the floor. Eunice, scream- 
ing loudly, clasped her doll to her bosom and 
jumped from paper to paper, then stopped 
and wiggled a string, and the fierce blood- 
hound followed, with gentle pounces and 
wavings of a tortoise-shell tail. 

But when the audience clapped its delight, 
the tail grew so big with terror that you could 
scarcely see any kitten at all behind it, and 
dashed oflF the stage to hide under the nursery 
bureau. And the whole audience left their 
seats and crawled around on hands and knees 
with the actors, trying to coax the fierce blood- 
hound out. 

But he would n’t come, and so they could 
not have any more scenes from “ Uncle Tom’s 
Cabin,” as Weejums was to have taken the part 
of Miss Ophelia and any number of others. So 
the last tableau was announced as A Sorrowful 
Widow Weeping over her Husband’s Grave.” 

Eunice was the widow, with a red tablecloth 
over her head, which was the nearest she could 


20 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


find to anything black, and Kenneth was the 
grave, down on all fours, covered with a yellow 
lamb’s-wool rug. He was dreadfully warm 
and uncomfortable in this position, but be- 
haved very well, until Franklin gave a kind of 
snort and said, “ Ho, who ever saw a grave 
with panties on ! ” 

Then the grave turned a complete somer- 
sault, and lay there chuckling wickedly, while 
the sorrowful widow took off her red table- 
cloth and scolded him. 

The audience went away then, and Eunice 
found that Cyclone had slipped the pin- 
cushion around under his stomach, and chewed 
all the bran out. And when Weejums came 
out from under the bureau, she had to squeeze 
herself so flat that she howled all the way, and 
some black, yellow, and white hairs were left 
behind. But this was because she was getting 
to be a big kitten now, and could no longer 
have gone into a Christmas stocking. 


21 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


CHAPTER THREE 

THE BLACK RABBIT WITH WHITE SPOTS, AND 
THE WHITE RABBIT WITH BLACK SPOTS 

HE children went East with their 
mother that summer, and Wee- 
jums stayed with Grandmother 
and Cyclone at the farm. But 
Eunice wrote to her quite often, 
and learned from her replies that she was 
having a splendid time chasing grasshoppers. 

“ I ’d enclose one tender little one for you,*’ 
Weejums wrote; “ but your grandmother says 
that they would n’t agree with you. It seems 
a pity, because they have such juicy little red 
legs.” 

Eunice did not really believe that Weejums 
wrote these letters herself, but was quite cer- 
tain that she thought all these things, even if 
she never mentioned them. 

When they came back in the fall, Grand- 



22 


BLACK AND WHITE RABBITS 


mother went down first to open the house, and, 
of course, Eunice asked for Weejums almost 
before she was inside the door. 

Well, she ’s busy just now,” said Grand- 
mother, with a funny look ; “ but she sent word 
for you to look behind the barrel in the wood- 
shed.” 

Eunice and Kenneth ran as fast as they 
could, wondering why Weejums did not come 
to meet them. And then they heard a purr 
— such a loud, proud purr ! Eunice thought 
that they heard it in the dining-room ; but 
Kenneth said it was not until they reached the 
kitchen. But it was Weejums* purr, and it 
came from behind the barrel in the woodshed ! 

Eunice looked at Weejums, and Weejums 
looked at Eunice, and Mother and Grandmother 
came out and looked at them both. Then 
Eunice took three little squealing rolls of fur 
into her lap, and kissed three tiny pink noses, 
warm and moist with sleep. And Weejums 
forgot all about her kittens, in the joy of see- 
ing Eunice again. 


23 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


‘‘ They were born at the farm, two weeks 
ago,” Grandmother said, “ and came down in a 
basket last night.” 

Don't you think,” asked Eunice, in an awe- 
struck tone, “ that she 's very young to be a 
mother ? ” 

It really looks so,” said Grandmother, seri- 
ously ; “ because she seems to love you a great 
deal better than she does the kittens ! ” 

Weejums was rolling over and over in her 
delight, and jumping in and out of the box to 
rub against Eunice's face. And whenever she 
jumped, her purr jolted up into a funny little 
squeak that came down when she did. 

One is black with white edgings,” said 
Eunice, in a rapturous whisper, ‘‘and one is 
yellow and white, with mittens.” 

“ Yes, those are extra toes like a thumb,” 
said Grandmother. “ There 's a cat up at the 
farm with toes like that.” 

“ And one is tortoise-shell like — no, not 
like Weejums. Is n't it a funny color. 
Mamma ? ” 


24 


BLACK AND WHITE RABBITS 


Yes, if she was ever planned for a tortoise- 
shell, her colors must have run.” 

Eunice looked alarmed, and wondered if all 
the other kittens* colors would run together, 
like the dyes of Easter eggs when they come 
out wrong. But there was really nothing 
strange about this kitten, except that where 
her black spots should have been black, to make 
her a regular tortoise-shell, they were a kind of 
mixed brindle and maltese, with speckled and 
drab lights. The rest of her was a nice yellow 
and white, as it should be. 

“ She looks like my old laundry-bag,** said 
Grandmother; but I kept her for the sake of 
that alley cat.** 

“ Oh, say, come out and see the rabbits try 
the new house!** called Franklin at the shed- 
door, and everybody but Grandmother hurried 
out into the yard ; for the rabbits had just 
come home from ‘‘ Beansy*s,'* where they had 
spent the summer, and were to begin house- 
keeping in their new quarters. 

Mrs. Wood was particularly interested in 

25 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


the big rabbit-house, because she had helped 
draw plans for the billiard and drawing rooms, 
and herself suggested that there should be an 
upstairs. 

There were two rabbits, a black one with 
white spots, and a white one with black spots, 
and they were called Mercurius Dulcis and the 
Overture to Zampa. Franklin had found the 
first name on one of his mother’s medicine- 
bottles, and admired it ; but Mrs. Bun was 
always called Dulcie for short. The Overture 
was a fine, big fellow with muscular sides, and 
a louder stamp of the hind leg than any other 
rabbit in the Rabbit Club. Indeed, Franklin 
had been made president of the Rabbit Club, 
just because of the size and strength and 
sound of the Overture’s feet. Even Beansy’s 
white buck, Alonzo, was nothing beside him. 

You put Stamper in the front door,” 
Franklin said to Beansy, for Stamper was the 
Overture’s club name, and I ’ll put Dulcie 
in the cupola. Then he ’ll have to go up, and 
she ’ll have to come down.” 

26 


BLACK AND WHITE RABBITS 


The cupola had a top that came off, some- 
thing like the cover of a baking-powder tin, 
and Dulcie was thrust in, with a terrific kicking 
and scrambling of resentful hind legs. But 
she was no fun at all afterwards, for she sat 
perfectly still in a frightened bunch, with her 
nose wiggling very fast, and did not try to move. 

Stamper 's all right, though,’' Beansy said, 
with his face against the wire-netting. “ He ’s 
going upstairs.” 

He certainly was, although at first he had 
proceeded cautiously around the drawing-room, 
with long backward stretches of the hind legs. 
But now he found the staircase, — made of a 
board with little slats nailed across it, — and 
scratched his way up very slowly, smelling the 
air with little tosses of the head. 

He’ll find the celery now,” called Eunice, 
delightedly. ‘‘ I put a piece in Dulcie’s bou- 
doir.” 

Stamper ate the celery loudly, beginning 
with the leafy end, and Dulcie heard him from 
the cupola. 


27 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


“ She 's coming down ! ” Kenneth exclaimed. 

‘‘Noj she’s stuck/* said Beansy. “Your 
old cupola door ain’t big enough for her to get 
out at.” 

“ Ho ! *' answered Franklin, with scorn, 
“ you just see ! ” And in a minute Dulcie had 
squeezed her way through, and dropped down 
suddenly on Stamper’s head, which surprised 
him so much that he dropped the last bit of 
celery, — the widest end, — and Dulcie ate it. 
Then they sat looking at each other with wig- 
gling noses, as if they had never met before, 
and each one was thinking, “ Now who on 
earth can this other rabbit be ! ” 

“ They ’re all right now,” said Mrs. Wood, 
turning back to the house; “but they’ll never 
be able to get into that cupola after they’ve 
had their dinner.” 

Kenneth ran after his mother, Beansy went 
home, and Franklin went into the shed to get 
his tool-chest. 

“ Let me hold Stamper while you fix the 
door,” Eunice begged, for being Franklin’s 
28 


BLACK AND WHITE RABBITS 


sister, she naturally regarded Stamper in the 
light of a nephew. 

No, sir, he dl stay below decks,’* said 
Franklin, taking the cupola off the house. 

But he’s trying to get out, Franklin. I 
can see his ears coming upstairs.” 

Franklin ruled out a larger door in the 
cupola with his square, and began to saw. 

“ Franklin, he is coming out! ” 

“ Oh, go play with your cats 1 ” said Frank- 
lin, impatiently. But Eunice had seen a pair 
of wicked ears, erect as corn-stalks, peering 
through the opening where the cupola had 
been. 

He will get out 1 ” she thought, and grasp- 
ing his ears firmly, hauled the big fellow into 
her arms. 

Stamper sat very still, as he was fond of 
Eunice, and simply moved his wide ears back 
and forth until Franklin began to pound. 
Then he gave a mighty leap, kicked Eunice 
in the stomach, and sprang to the ground. 

“ Franklin 1 ” Eunice gasped ; she was too 
29 


THE ALLEY CAT^S KITTEN 


much out of breath to say anything else ; and 
Franklin only answered, ‘‘Oh, don’t bother!” 

So before Eunice could make him look 
around. Stamper had given three loud, slow 
thumps with his legs, a kind of double-back- 
action kick in the air, and was off across the 
yard. 

“Head him off! head him off!” called 
Franklin, as he saw the scudding of a white 
tail. “ Round by the alley, quick, quick ! ” 

Eunice ran as fast as she could, but before 
they could stop him, the rabbit had dodged 
under a barn and disappeared. 

“Oh, thunder!” said Franklin, “we can’t 
ever catch him now. How in the world did 
he get out ? ” 

Eunice went through a little struggle with 
herself, and then said: “He — I was holding 
him just a minute, Franklin. You see he was 
most out himself, and so — ” 

“You didn’t try to hold him after what I 
said ! ” 

“ Yes, I did.” 


30 


BLACK AND WHITE RABBITS 


Franklin might have understood how hard 
it was for her to tell this, but he did n’t, and 
said angrily, Eunice,^ you ’re a naughty, 
naughty girl, and you shall never even touch 
one of my rabbits again ! ” 

Eunice turned and went into the house with- 
out saying a word, but Franklin heard a piti- 
ful wail when the door was closed, and thought, 
Hm — serves her right ! ” 

He spent the rest of the morning looking 
for Stamper, and putting Lost signs, with a 
description of the rabbit, on all the barns in the 
neighborhood. But he did not expect to find 
him again, and dinner that day was not a cheer- 
ful meal. Eunice’s eyes were red; Kenneth 
was too awestruck to upset his glass of water 
as usual ; and Mrs. Wood looked grieved. But 
Franklin did not see why she should expect him 
to be anything but cross, when he had lost the 
finest rabbit in the whole club, and all through 
the fault of a meddling child, — her child too ! 
He decided that he had a right to be most 
severe, and went out after dinner to whittle on 

31 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


the side steps, which with him was always a 
sign of great displeasure. 

As he sat there, Weejums picked her way 
daintily down beside him, and came out for her 
daily airing. She gave a funny little jump and 
spit, when one of the whittlings struck her, and 
Franklin almost laughed, but remembered in 
time that he was too angry, and sent another 
whittling after her to see what she would do. 
This time she smelled of it, to see if it was 
something to eat, then finding that Franklin 
was only joking, slanted back her ears, and 
walked haughtily across the yard, with stiff 
jerks of the tail. 

The temptation to make her jump proved 
too much for him, and he shied a small piece 
of coal at her so neatly that it passed directly 
under her, tossing the sand about her feet. 
Weejums gave a wild spit, and tore into the 
alley, with rising fur, looking around in vain for 
the earthquake that had struck her. 

Come back, Weej — here, here,” called 
Franklin, good-naturedly, for teasing animals 

32 


BLACK AND WHITE RABBITS 


was not usually in his line. But then he was 
cross to-day, and had not Eunice lost his rab- 
bit ? 

He put down his knife, and went out into 
the alley to bring Weejums back, but at that mo- 
ment something terrible happened. A baker’s 
cart, followed by a fierce dog, jingled into the 
alley, and the dog made a dash at Weejums. 
Franklin ran for the dog, and Cyclone, who 
happened to come around the house just then, 
ran after Franklin. Poor Weejums could not 
see that the second dog was a friend, and did 
not recognize Franklin in the boy who was 
chasing her. She left the alley and dashed 
across the street into a vacant lot, where three 
other dogs were nosing around among tin cans. 
They gave a yelp of delight, and joined in 
the pursuit, followed by several small boys, 
who rushed along after Franklin, shouting, 
Ei-er there ! Sick her, sick her ! ” 

In a few minutes every boy and dog in the 
neighborhood was on Weejums’ trail, and 
Franklin could not stop long enough to ex- 
3 33 


THE ALLEY CAT^S KITTEN 


plain to them that he himself was not chasing 
her. The hunt came to an end, when she 
vanished under some tumble-down sheds, many 
blocks away from home, where a friendly barn 
cat, with a torn nose, hid her behind a soap- 
box. 

“ Don't mention it,” he said, when Weejums 
tried to thank him. I once had a friend with 
eyes like yours.” And he sighed. But of 
course Weejums could not know that this 
friend had been her own dear mother. 

Just watch me do stunts with that dog,” 
the barn cat said. He was naturally inelegant 
in his language, never having lived in refined 
surroundings; but Weejums forgot this when 
she saw him leap to the back of a certain yellow 
cur, and claw maps on his skin, like the true 
knight that he was. 

All the other dogs, including Cyclone, turned 
tail and fled, and the barn cat strolled back, 
with that gentle expression on his face, which 
it is said that great warriors usually wear. 

“ They did n’t see where you went in,” he 

34 


BLACK AND WHITE RABBITS 


said, comfortingly ; the boys are looking 
under the wrong shed/’ 

I can never thank you for your kindness,” 
said Weejums, with a little break in her yow. 
“ But I shall tell my mistress about you, 
and I hope you will call.” 

Does your family keep a desirable garbage 
pail ? ” asked the barn cat, thoughtfully. 

“ Unexcelled., But of course I eat in the 
kitchen.” 

Ah ! ” said the barn cat, with another sigh, 
“ what it means to have a home ! Now I pre- 
sume that they never throw hot dishwater at 
you.” 

Never,” said Weejums, in horror ; am 
treated as one of the family.” 

Alas,” said the barn cat sadly, thinking of 
his own life. 

‘‘ But I ’ve run away so far that I don’t 
know how to get back, and fear that I shall 
never see my dear little kittens again.” And 
Weejums began to weep. 

Their age ? ” asked the barn cat, briefly. 

35 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


“ Two weeks/’ 

‘‘ Most unfortunate. I must try and find 
your home for you. Remain here in the soap- 
box until I return, and if any strange cat mo- 
lests you, say but the two words, ^Torn-nose,’ 
and he will disappear.” 

Weejums promised, and the barn cat slipped 
out so quietly that she scarcely saw him go. 
But all the boys and dogs were gone now, so 
she did not mind being left alone. 



36 



A CALICO CAT 


CHAPTER FOUR 

A CALICO CAT 

RANKLIN did not go home 
after Weejums disappeared, but 
wandered around the neighbor- 
hood, wondering what he should 
do if she did not come back. 

What do you mean by chasing my sister’s 
cat ? ” he asked fiercely of one of the small 
boys who followed him. 

Aw — go long ! You was chasin’ it your- 
self. Tie up your teeth ! ” was the insulting 
reply. And Franklin realized that he could 
never make them believe anything else. Then 
he began to wonder if there was not a certain 
amount of truth in what the boy had said. To 
be sure, he had started out to rescue Weejums 
and bring her home, but there had been a 
strange and terrible joy in his heart, when that 
37 




THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


seventeenth dog joined the hunt, and fell over 
all the others. 

Pshaw ! all cats come home,” he thought. 

She dl find her way back all right. But rab- 
bits are different.” 

He ground his heel angrily into the gravel, 
and thought of Stamper ; but somehow he could 
not work himself up into as bad a temper as he 
had before. He could not imagine what would 
become of Eunice if Weejums were lost. 

But cats always come home,” he thought 
again. P’Paps she ’ll be there when I get 
back.” 

He had not noticed in what direction he was 
walking, and suddenly found himself quite far 
down-town, opposite the bird store. There 
was a new assortment of very wobbly fox ter- 
rier puppies in the window, and he could not 
resist sauntering up to examine them. But 
almost immediately he wheeled around, and 
walked off very fast without looking back, for 
in the bird store he had seen his mother and 
Eunice. 


38 


A CALICO CAT 


They were buying a rabbit. He had seen 
the man holding up one of the old store 
rabbits, who was kicking dreadfully, and 
whacking the white-mouse cage with his hind 
legs. 

Franklin knew that they charged a dollar 
and a quarter for this rabbit, and that he was 
not worth it. 

“If they're going to buy a rabbit, they 
ought n't to buy one here," he thought, in an 
agony of anxiety. “There isn't a rabbit here 
that I 'd put in my house. 

“If that bird-store man does Mother on that 
rabbit, I 'll go down and settle him to-morrow," 
he added to himself. And then he remem- 
bered, with shame, that he could never accept a 
rabbit from Eunice, after he had chased her 
cat. 

He took a car home and looked eagerly on 
the front porch, half expecting that Weejums 
would be sitting there waiting for him with a 
forgiving smile. But she did not appear, and 
he went all around the alley again, calling her 
39 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


in beseeching tones. Suddenly, under the 
corner of a neighbor’s shed, he saw something 
white move, and went into the house to get a 
saucer of milk. 

I s’pose she ’ll be afraid to come to me 
now,” he thought, and the thought hurt, for 
Franklin was not a cruel boy. 

He set the milk down, very carefully, near 
the place where he had seen the white thing 
move, and presently it hopped out, with a great 
flop of the ears, and began to drink. But it 
was a white thing with black spots, and its 
name was Stamper. 

Rabbits love milk as well as cats do, so it 
was easy for Franklin to grab the runaway by 
his long ears, and bear him off to his box, with 
a milky nose and an indignant heart. Then 
he rushed into the house to see if his mother 
and sister had come home. But they were not 
there, and Franklin feared that they might 
have gone to some strange and distant place 
in search of a rabbit. He was much relieved 
when a car stopped, and Mrs. Wood and 
40 


A CALICO CAT 


Eunice got off ; for they were not carrying 
anything but some bundles from the dry-goods 
store, and five cents’ worth of candy for Ken- 
neth. There was no sign whatever of any 
rabbit being concealed about them. 

“Stamper’s come home,” he said, almost 
before they reached the steps. 

“ I thought you told Eunice there was no 
chance of his ever coming back,” said Mrs. 
Wood, kissing Kenneth, who had run to meet 

them. 

“Well, I didn’t think there was,” said 
Franklin, shamefacedly. “ Eunice did n’t need 
to cry.” 

He suspected that his mother had very little 
admiration for boys who made Eunice cry. 

“ There was n’t one chance in a thousand,” 
he added, “and I wouldn’t have caught him 

then, if I had n’t had the milk.” 

“ What were you doing with milk ? ” asked 
Eunice, suspiciously. 

Franklin did not answer, and looked so 
uncomfortable that Mrs. Wood changed the 

41 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


subject ; for she made a point of never asking 
one of her children embarrassing questions 
before the others, and this was one reason 
why they loved her so much. 

After supper there came a loud thump at 
the side door, and Franklin, who was studying 
in the parlor, heard a delighted shout from 
Kenneth. Then Eunice came running in with 
a smile, and taking Franklin by the hand, said, 
I Ve got something for you, to make up for 
your feeling so bad about Stamper.” 

“ But Stamper ’s come home,” he said, giv- 
ing her a rough little hug. ‘‘ And I can’t take 
any present from you now. Sis, so run away, 
and let me get my algebra.” 

“ I told her I thought you would n’t care 
to,” said Mrs. Wood, looking relieved. But 
she said that she ’d feel very badly if you did n’t 
take them.” She was so glad that Franklin 
felt he did not deserve them, although of course 
she could not know yet just how much he 
did n’t. “ They ” were on the dining-room 
table, sitting in Eunice’s hat, — the most beau- 
42 


A CALICO CAT 


tiful little pair of maitese rabbits that Franklin 
had ever seen. And all his life long he had 
wanted a maitese rabbit ! 

Those did n’t come from the bird store, 
I know,” he burst out in delight, quite forget- 
ting that he was not to keep them. 

‘‘ They came from the farm of the father of 
a boy who works at Taylor’s,” said Mrs. 
Wood, laughing. ‘‘The bird-store rabbits 
were no good.” 

“ Oh, those bird-store rabbits are enough to 
give a hand-organ sore throat! You’re just 
a brick. Mother, and so is Eunice, but I can’t 
take these little fellows, really. Eunice must 
keep them herself.” 

“ Eunice will feel badly if you don’t take 

them, ” said Mrs. Wood again. 

“ Oh, but there ’s reasons why I can’t,”said 
Franklin, desperately. “ I don’t want to tell 
before the kids.” 

“ Well, they can be my rabbits for to-night, 

then, ” said Mrs. Wood, in her quiet way, “ and 
to-morrow we ’ll decide whom they really be- 

43 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


long to. I shall feel dreadfully proud to own 
some rabbits, even if I can't have them but 
one night." 

She smiled, and Eunice and Kenneth began 
to laugh, thinking the whole affair a joke. 

“ But they 're too little to put with Dulcie 
and Stamper, aren't they. Mother?" Eunice 
said. “We'll have to put them with Wee- 
jums and the kittens." 

“ Oh, she 'll eat 'em up ! " said Kenneth. 

“ No, she won't," said Mrs. Wood. “ We 'll 
watch her and see. They are not so different 
from her own babies." 

But when they took the little bunnies to 
Weejums' box, there was no Weejums to re- 
ceive them, and the three kittens were cry- 
ing with hunger. 

“ I 'll go call her," said Eunice, running 
to the side door. But no distant “ purr-eow " 
answered to her call, and no tortoise-shell tail 
waved a greeting from the top of fence or shed. 

“ Biddy, have you seen Weejums ? " she 
asked, coming into the kitchen. 

44 


A CALICO CAT 


“ Shure, I have, and a very foine cat she is, 
barrin’ her swate voice.” 

‘^No, but have you seen her since dinner? 
Biddy, please don’t tease.” 

‘‘ Well, I gave her some dinner at two, and 
she left my prisence directly afterwards, with- 
out so much as sayin’ ‘thank you,’ and wint 
for a sthroll.” 

“ Then she has n’t come home ! Oh, 
Mother, do you suppose anything’s happened 
to her ? ” 

Mrs. Wood went back to the parlor to ask 
Franklin if he had seen anything of Weejums, 
and Franklin told her the whole miserable 
story, or nearly the whole ; for of course the 
children came running in to interrupt. 

“ Don’t tell Eunice,” his mother said quickly. 
“ It would make it so much harder if she 
thought you had anything to do with it.” 

So Franklin did not tell, but he never liked 
to think afterwards of those days that followed. 
Eunice went around with a white face ; while 
Kenneth tore his clothes to shreds crawling 
45 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


about under barns and fences. The loss of 
Stamper had been sad, of course, for rabbits are 
both desirable and attractive, but Weejums 
was one of the family. 

The kittens had to be fed with a spoon, and 
gave furious strangled howls, as the milk was 
poured into them. 



“A LITTLE girl’s YOUNG MOTHER CAT” 


Eunice wrote out an advertisement to be put 
in the paper ; 

‘‘ LOST. — A little girl’s tortoise-shell, young-mother 
cat, with pink toes and a sweet face. Answering to 
the name of Wee-je, Wee-je, kim-um-sing.” 

46 


A CALICO CAT 


And Mrs. Wood put it all in, except the 
last, about answering, saying instead that there 
would be a reward of two dollars for any one 
returning the cat to her home. 

This notice appeared for three days, and on 
the third, another one followed it : 

“ In addition to above reward offered for return of 
young mother cat, will be given : Two fine, fat, 
handsome rabbits in splendid condition, with one 
palatial, airy rabbit-house, eight rooms, staircases, 
cupola, and all modern improvements. 

“ F. Wood, 

Mrs. Wood smiled as she read this, although 
her lips trembled, and she thought : “ That 
must have broken Franklin’s heart.” 

The next day something else left the family, 
and this was no less than Kenneth’s beautiful 
head of curls ; but something much more im- 
portant returned in their place, when he came 
marching home without them. 

Grandmother was there for a few days, and 
took him down to have them cut, because he 
47 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


had been promised that they should go before 
school began. Then she dressed him in his 
first trousers, and brought him triumphantly 
to his mother, who, instead of being delighted, 
said, “Oh, Kenny, Mother’s lost her little 
baby ! ” and looked so grieved that he broke 
into a great roar of sympathy, and a little later, 
when he strolled out into the street, a boy 
called after him : “ H’m, been cryin’ ’cause 
your hair ’s cut ! ” 

“ Say that again, will you ! ” said Kenneth, 
removing his hands from the new pockets. 

“ I said you ’ve been cryin’ ’cause — ” 

But the sentence was never finished, for 
Kenneth had flown at him with all the con- 
fidence those trousers inspired, — it is wonder- 
ful to find how much more easily you can run 
in them, — and the boy dropped down behind 
a fence. 

“ I guess I ’ll take a walk,” Kenneth thought, 
with becoming modesty. “ I guess I ’ll just 
take a walk around the block.” 

“ Round the block ” was the extent of the 
48 


A CALICO CAT 


distance he was allowed to go away from home 
by himself. 

I may meet some boys,” he added, trying 
not to keep looking down at his legs. 

But he did not meet any boys, because they 
had all run to join a crowd that was gathering 
on another street. And Kenneth ran too, 
although he knew that it was much further 
than around the block ; but his new trousers 
went as fast as they could, and so naturally 
he had to go with them. 

The boys were looking up at a tree, and 
throwing things, and Kenneth caught his 
breath, as he heard a most un-bird-like E-ow ” 
from among the branches. 

Say, what color’d cat is it ? ” he asked of 
a ragamuffin, who was preparing to throw an 
ancient apple. 

“ Caliker cat, ” said the boy. Up 
there. See ? ” and he closed one eye to 
take aim. 

“ She ain’t calico. She ’s tortoise-shell,” 
burst out Kenneth, turning red with delight. 
49 


4 


THE ALLEY CATS KITTEN 


‘‘ She 's our Weejums, and I ’m goin’ to take 
her home.” 

“ Oh, she ’s your cat, is she ? ” asked the 
boy, dropping his apple and looking danger- 
ous. “ Your cat ? — when we chased it up 
there? Well, I like that! Say, fellers, did 
you hear that? Your cat, is it? ¥{u\\^ your 
cat ! Calico cat ! Tie up your teeth 1 ” 

“ Don’t have to,” Kenneth replied. 

Say, you better run home to your Ma-Ma, 
little boy. D’ye hear?” 

‘‘ Don’t have to,” Kenneth responded. 

‘‘ Calico cat 1 ” sneered the boy, insultingly. 
‘‘ Calico, I say. Old calico cat 1 ” 

“ Tortoise-shell,” insisted Kenneth, politely 
but firmly. “ I ’ll punch your head.” 

The boy doubled up his fists with a snort of 
rage, — he was bigger than Kenneth, — and said: 

“ Oh, you ’ll punch my head, will you ? 
You ’ll punch my head 1 I say, fellers, did 
you hear him say he ’d punch my head ? 
Boxey, you heard him say it ? ” 

I heard him,” said Boxey. 

50 


A CALICO CAT 


Well, then, come along and do it. I just 
stump you to come along and do it. Huh ! 
don’t dare do it ! ” 

Kenneth had never engaged in a regular 
fight before, but it is strange how different 
trousers make one feel — especially that first 
day. So he took off his new little coat, — it 
was quite an old one before he reached home, 
— and went for the boy. A ring formed to 
see that there was fair play ; for although they 
all pitied Kenneth, they could n’t help respect- 
ing a boy who said, “ Don’t haff ter,” to Patsy 
McGann. 

Everybody knows that there are two kinds 
of strength in a fight, — one that comes from 
training, and one from splendid rage, and Ken- 
neth’s was of the latter order. When his nose 
began to bleed, he wept with fury, which was 
very effective, as it made the blood seem ever 
so much more. And when Patsy muttered, 
“ Calico,” between his blows, Kenneth answered, 
‘^Tortoise-shell!” with all the vengeance of 
which he was capable. 


51 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


It was not a long battle, for the sound of 
Weejums’ pathetic voice, from the tree, put 
force into Kenneth’s rib-punches, and presently 
Patsy McGann went down, with a waving of 
grimy heels that called forth a storm of applause 
from the onlookers. 

“ He ’s licked him — he’s licked him ! Give 
him the cat,” called a larger boy who had 
strolled up while the fight was in progress. 
And all the others drew away from the tree, 
while Kenneth coaxed Weejums down, with a 
voice that she recognized, although she would 
never have known his poor bruised little face. 
And just as he had taken her in his arms, who 
should come whistling up the street but 
Franklin ! 

He understood the situation at a glance, and 
striding up to Patsy McGann, seized him by 
the shoulder, saying, Did you lick him ? 
Answer me ! Did you lick that little fellar ? ” 

“ Naw, he licked me. An’ just on account 
of that old caliker cat you was chasin’ the 
other day.” 


52 


A CALICO CAT 


‘‘You shut up ! ” said Franklin, with his face 
burning. But Kenneth had not heard the 
whole of the sentence. 

“ What kind of a cat did you say it was ? ” 
he asked, turning to Patsy. 

“A cal — I mean turtle-shell cat,*' said Patsy, 
sullenly, walking off with his friends. 


53 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


CHAPTER FIVE 


MR. AND MRS. BLUEBERRY ^ 



Weeji; 


ilRANKLIN took Kenneth in at 
the back door, and washed his 
face, before letting any one see 
him. Then they walked trium- 
phantly into the parlor, with 
Kenneth’s shoulder. 

Eunice was practising at the piano, with 
Mrs. Wood beside her, so they did not see 
Weejums, until Eunice felt a little purring face 
against her own, and screamed for joy. Mrs. 
Wood exclaimed also, and turned very pale, but 
it was not on account of Weejums. 

‘^Was it a runaway, Franklin?” she asked 
quietly, “ or did he get under a street car ? ” 
Just then Grandmother came into the room, 
and Franklin led Kenneth up to her with 
pride. 

Grandmother, look at your descendant ! ” 
54 


MR. AND MRS. BLUEBERRY 


he said. “He ain’t but six, and he licked a 
boy eight.” 

“ Hurrah for you ! ” said Grandmother, which 
any one will admit was a very strange remark 
for a grandmother to make. 

“ What was the fight about ? ” asked Mrs. 
Wood, bringing some Pond’s Extract from 
the dining-room. “ Franklin, you did n’t get 
him into this ? ” 

“ Course he did n’t,” said Kenneth. “ ’T was 
Weejums got me in, and Patsy McGann. 
Ouch, Mother ! don’t pour it in my eye.” 

“ It was an entirely necessary fight,” Frank- 
lin explained. “ Patsy McGann was throwing 
things at Weejums, and calling her a calico 
cat.” 

“And she’s tortoise-shell,” Kenneth said. 

“ Well, they happen to be the same thing,” 
said Mrs. Wood, patiently. “ Mother, do you 
think it ’s so very desirable for a boy to come 
home looking like this ? ” 

“ I ’d like to get a glimpse of the other boy,” 
said Grandmother, with a wicked twinkle in her 
55 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


eye. Franklin gave a whoop of delight, but 
Grandmother cut short his joy by beckoning 
him into the other room. 

‘'You said he licked a boy eight ? she 
asked, taking up her work. 

“Yes, and, oh. Grandmother — ” 

“Nothing strange about that, since he's 
a Wood. Tou whipped a boy eight when 
you were six, did n't you ? Seems to me I 
remember." 

“ You bet ! " said Franklin, with a joyous 
flush of recollection. 

“Yes, and so did your father. But now 
you 're twelve, and I know a boy your own 
age you can't whip." 

“ Well, I 'd just like to have you bring him 
out," said Franklin, doubling up his fists. 

“It's yourself," said Grandmother. “It 
seems a pity that you 're not strong enough to 
whip yourself, — when you want to chase cats, 
and things like that." 

“Oh," said Franklin, looking crestfallen. 

“ Now go and get ready for supper," Grand- 

56 


MR. AND MRS. BLUEBERRY 


mother said quietly. I Ve had my say.” 
Franklin edged to the door, and then came 
back, holding out his hand. 

“ Grandmother,” he burst out, Grand- 
mother, shake ! You 're a gentleman ! ” after 
which he bolted upstairs. 

“ Where was Weejums going when the boys 
chased her up a tree ? ” Eunice asked at the 
supper-table. 

“ Don’t know,” said Kenneth. “ Mother, 
can’t I have three helps of cherries to-night, 
’cause I ’ve got a sore nose ? ” 

‘‘You may have four more cherries, Kenny ; 
but don’t throw the stones at Cyclone any 
more. He may swallow them.” 

“ S’cuse me,” said Franklin, pushing back 
his chair. “ Come on, Eunice, and we ’ll go 
ask the boys about Weejums.” It was a treat 
for Eunice to go out with Franklin, after sup- 
per, and they were lucky enough to find the 
boy, Boxey, at the end of the block. 

“ There was two cats,” Boxey said, eagerly, 
“Yours, and an old tomcat with a game nose. 
57 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


They was trottin’ along together, an’ when we 
come up, he went under a porch, and she run 
up a tree. He kep’ callin’ to her, and spittin’ 
at us, the whole time.” 

“ P’r’aps he was bringing her home,” Eunice 
said. “Oh, Franklin, let’s go find that poor 
tomcat, and put some vaseline on his nose.” 

“ It was a lattice-work place, under a porch,” 
said Boxey, starting ahead. “ I ’ll show you.” 

“ Oh, it is n’t likely he ’s there now,” said 
Franklin, taking Eunice’s hand; “and if he’s 
a friend of Weejums, he’ll turn up again. Sis, 
so don’t you worry. We’ll go home and put 
some stuflF out in the back yard for him to 
eat.” 

That evening, Mrs. Wood sat laying some 
lovely, sunshiny things away in a little box, 
and thinking of how like the face of a dande- 
lion Ken’s dear head used to look. 

“ Mother ’s lost her little baby ! ” she said to 
herself, as she slipped the last one from her 
finger, and kissed it softly before closing the 
box. 


MR. AND MRS. BLUEBERRY 


“Oh, stuff and nonsense!’' said Grand- 
mother, who was pretending to read the paper. 
“You’ve got something better.” 

But Mrs. Wood knew that Grandmother had 
just such another box put away somewhere, — 
the box that held the curls of him who had been 
Kenneth’s father, and Grandmother’s little boy. 

“ I ’m going to give Kenny my rabbits,” said 
Franklin, the next morning. “ ’T was in the 
advertisement, and I promised.” 

“ Oh, but Kenny did n’t see the advertise- 
ment,” Mrs. Wood said; “and Weejums is 
going to buy him such a nice present this 
morning. I would n’t give away the rabbits, 
Franklin dear.” 

“Well, but I promised. Mother.” 

“ Yes, but Kenny is such a little boy, he 
could never begin to take care of all Dulcie’s 
young families. Suppose that you give the new 
little bunnies to the children, if you want to 
give away something. I don’t believe Kenny 
himself would want you to part with the rabbits 
that you ’ve had so long.” 

59 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


“Well, I’ll think about it,” Franklin replied. 
And that afternoon it was announced that 
Eunice and Kenneth were to have a bunny 
apiece. 

Two wild shrieks of delight were followed 
by a dash to Weejums’ box, where the strange- 
eared visitors lay, cuddled in amongst the 
kittens. 

“ I want the one that ’s mostly maltese,” said 
Eunice. 

“ No, / want the one that ’s mostly maltese,” 
said Kenneth. 

“ You never thought of it till I spoke.” 

“ Did Pig ! ” 

Eunice promptly seized him by the hair, and 
Mrs. Wood went to the rescue, saying, “ Sister, 
for shame ! Kenny I you must n’t kick Eunice, 
— and now that you ’re in trousers too! ” 

“ I can kick ever so much better,” Kenneth 
said. 

“ I put them on last night and kicked him,” 
Eunice explained. “ I know you can.” 

“Well, you are both very naughty, and I 
6o 


MR. AND MRS. BLUEBERRY 


don't think any rabbits will be given away to- 
day. I 'll go explain to Franklin," and Mrs. 
Wood started to leave the room. 

But both children rushed after her, calling : 

Oh, Mother, I 'll take the other Bun! I will. 
Mother 1 " 

“ No, Mother, /'// take the other Bun. I 
like him. Please, Mother 1 " 

I think that Kenneth should have first 
choice," Mrs Wood said patiently; ‘^because 
he brought Weejums home. So the mostly 
maltese Bun can belong to him. But if I 
hear another word of quarrelling about it, the 
rabbits will go back to the farm to-morrow." 

There was a moment of awed silence, and 
then Eunice said, with a sudden radiant smile : 
“ I shall call mine Mr. Samuel Blueberry 1 " 

“ Mine will be just Bunny Grey," Kenneth 
remarked. Blueberries give me the stomach- 
ache." 

“ Mother, can't we have a wedding like 
Cousin Florence's, and let the little bunnies 
get married ? I '11 do it all myself." 

6i 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


‘‘ Don’t you think they ’re rather young 
yet ? ” asked Mrs. Wood, — ‘‘ only six weeks.” 

“No, but I heard Auntie say it’s better to 
be married young, because it gets you more 
used to yourself.” 

“ How many children would you want to 
invite ?” asked Mrs. Wood, seriously. 

“ Oh, just Mary and Wyman, and their 
animals. And Bertha and Annabel, and 
Gerald and Myrtie Foster.” 

Mary and Wyman Bates were the children’s 
cousins who lived uptown. Bertha and Anna- 
bel were Kindergarten friends of long standing, 
and the Foster children were school com- 
panions, whose father kept a fascinating grocery 
store. Many were the striped jaw-breakers, 
and flat “ lickrish ” babies, which M yrtie had 
brought to her friend ; while Kenneth could 
not help admiring a boy who had a regular 
house, built of tin cans, in which he kept 
potato bugs. 

“ I suppose you will want them all to stay 
to supper,” Mrs. Wood said; “ and you know 
62 


MR. AND MRS. BLUEBERRY 


our dining-room is small. Suppose that you 
don’t ask Gerald and Myrtie.” 

‘‘ Oh, Mother ! ” Eunice exclaimed. 

And Kenneth echoed, “ Oh, Mother ! ” 

“ I could ask them just for the ceremony,” 
Eunice said. “ Lots of people are asked to the 
ceremony, who don’t come to the reception.” 

“You’ll find that they’ll expect to stay, if 
they come. But of course you can do as 
you like. Perhaps they won’t mind being 
crowded.” 

The invitations were written and sent that 
night. 

“ Mr. and Mrs. Overture-to-Zampa Wood 
request the honor of your presence, at the mar- 
riage of their daughter. Miss Bunny Grey, to 
Mr. Samuel Blueberry, Esquire, on Wednes- 
day, September the 8th, at three o’clock in the 
afternoon.” 

And they were directed to Miss Mary Bates 
and Kitten; Master Wyman Bates and Rab- 
bits; Miss Myrtie Foster and Kitten, etc., and 
all were accepted with pleasure. 

63 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


Eunice spent delightful hours in getting up 
the wedding garments, — little white satin 
blankets cut like dog blankets, except with not 
so much ‘‘ yoke,” as rabbits’ heads are screwed 



“ MR. AND MRS. BLUEBERRY ’ 


SO close to their bodies. Samuel’s dress-suit 
was trimmed with pink baby-ribbon, laid on 
plain, and the bride’s robe with lace ; and she 
wore a white veil, with orange blossoms, which 
made her look a lighter shade of maltese than 
she really was. 


64 


MR. AND MRS. BLUEBERRY 


The effect was most beautiful until the groom 
tried to eat some of the orange blossoms, and 
they had to be pried out of his mouth with a 
match, and sewed on again. This delayed the 
final dressing a little ; but when the guests 
arrived, the bride and groom were — con- 
trary to custom — awaiting them on the hall 
table. 

Bertha Richmond’s cat was named Grand- 
mother,” and wore a nice kerchief and frilled 
cap, with paper spectacles fastened to the 
border. Her presents were a bunch of young 
turnips, carefully washed and tied with white 
ribbon, for the bride, and the same effect in 
red beets for the groom. 

Annabel Loring’s cat wore a new blanket of 
pale-blue cashmere, trimmed with swan’s-down, 
and brought two bouquets of red and white 
clover, done up in tin foil. 

Mary and Wyman Bates had started out with 
lettuce and carrots for their present, but had 
been obliged to give most of it to their own 
rabbits on the way down, to keep them still. 

5 65 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


They had had an exciting trip on the street car, 
for Mary brought also her two kittens, one 
attired in a riding habit, and the other in a 
Mother Hubbard wrapper and straw hat. 
Myrtie Foster had not been able to bring 



“IN A MOTHER HUBBARD WRAPPER AND A STRAW HAT” 


her cat all the way, but arrived with a torn 
apron and scratched thumb, which Mrs. Wood 
tenderly bound up, to save Myrtie the trouble 
of sucking it. 

‘‘ It was while we was passin’ the drug-store,” 
the little girl explained. Malvina heard the 
soda-water fizzin’ and thought ’t was another 
cat.” 


66 


MR. AND MRS. BLUEBERRY 


But Gerald had brought his yellow rabbit, 
together with the crowning present of all, — a 
monster cabbage tied with Myrtie’s Sunday 
hair ribbon. 

Weejums was supposed to help Dulcie and 
Stamper receive the guests ; but, instead of 
being cordial, she flew at Grandmother,” 
who was the first to arrive, and clawed the 
spectacles off her nose, making such rude re- 
marks that Eunice was obliged to shut her in 
the china closet, where she sat and growled 
through the entire ceremony. 

When the wedding procession was ready to 
start, Mrs. Wood played the Lohengrin March, 
and the happy couple entered the parlor in 
their squeaking chariot, which was Kenneth’s 
express cart built up with a starch-box, and 
covered with white cheese-cloth. A bunch of 
daisies at each corner completed the solemn 
effect. 

“ Now put them on the table, Franklin,” 
Eunice said; “and remember to bob Sam’s 
head at the right time.” 

67 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


‘'All right,” said Franklin. 

“ E-ow-wow-fFtz-fFtz ! ” called Weejums from 
the china closet. 

“ Lm the minister,” Eunice said. “Now, 
Franklin, if you laugh you sha’n’t stay.” 

“Well, I only meant to smile,” Franklin 
explained, “ but my face slipped.” 

The minister unfolded a much-blotted piece 
of paper, and began to read in important tones : 

“ Children, cats, etc., we are gathered to- 
gether to celebrate the wedding of these rab- 
bits, who have got to be married whether they 
want to or not. Samuel, do you promise to 
always give Bun Grey the best of the clover, to 
cherish her from all attacks of rats, and never 
to bite her tail ? (Bob his head, Franklin. 
No — no! That ’s the wrong one ; that’s Bun 
Grey’s. Now bob Sam’s head. That ’s it.) 

“ Bun Grey, do you promise to take Sam for 
your maltese husband, to give him the best of 
the celery, and never to kick him in the 
stomach? (Bob her head, Franklin; that’s 
right !) ” 


68 


MR. AND MRS. BLUEBERRY 


A solemn pause, and then in a deeper voice, 

Now let the brass ring pass between you.” 

A curtain ring, wound with white ribbon, 
was pushed up Bunny Grey’s front leg as far 
as it would go, and then Eunice said, in the 
deepest voice of all : “ I now pronounce you 
rabbit and wife, and let no dog, mouse, weasel, 
cat, or guinea-pig ever say it’s not so ! Now 
we will have supper.” 

And the whole company filed out to the 
woodshed, where an ample repast was set for 
rabbit and cat. The menu included oatmeal 
in an ear-of-corn mould, with clover sauce ; 
catnip fritters, with cream ; stewed potatoes ; 
and a wedding cake with B. G. and S.” in 
red letters on the frosting. 

The animals were held up to the table with 
napkins around their necks, and ate their share 
of the feast, while their owners ate the cake. 
Then the bride and groom took a wedding trip 
around the block, drawn in their white chariot, 
and, contrary to custom again, escorted by 
all the guests. 


69 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


“ Now we must sit for our picture/' Eunice 
said, as Franklin brought out his camera, and 
those of the guests who had gone to sleep dur- 
ing the wedding tour were shaken awake again. 
But it was dreadfully hard to pose them all, so 
that their clothes and whiskers showed prop- 
erly, and just at the last minute the picture was 
spoiled by Grandmother Richmond, who had a 
fit, and ran up the screen door. There were a 
few other legs and tails in the picture when it 
was developed, but it was mostly Grand- 
mother's cap and fit ; and it seemed such a 
pity, because all the other animals had such 
pleasant expressions, and looked so charming 
in the clothes they wore. 

Everybody stayed to supper, and the 
sliced peaches gave out ; but they ended up 
with canned ones, and nobody seemed to 
mind. 

‘‘ It was the nicest party I was ever to," 
Myrtie Foster told Mrs. Wood when she 
went home ; “ and I shall teil Malvina what 
an awful lot she missed ! Our mamma 
70 


MR. AND MRS. BLUEBERRY 


does n’t have time to make parties for us. 
She has to tend store.” 

‘‘ It was lovely to have you,” said Eunice, 
warmly; only I’m sorry Weejums was so 
rude. She mort’fied me very much.” 

Don ’t you mind the least bit,” said Myrtie, 
consolingly. I ’ve heard that somebody 
always cries at a wedding ! ” 



“WEEJUMS HELPS RECEIVE” 


71 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


CHAPTER SIX 



UNCLE CYCLONE 

YCLONE was a yellow dog of 
no breeding, that Franklin had 
begged from a man in one of 
the parks. 

‘^He was making horse noises 
at him,” Franklin said indignantly; ‘‘ and a man 
who does n’t know any better than to make 
horse noises at a dog, does n’t deserve to own 
one.” 

So Cyclone became a member of the Wood 
family, and received his name because of the 
way that a room looked after he had run 
through it. He had his peculiarities from 
the beginning, and one was not to bow to any 
member of the family that he met on the 
street. He preferred to take his walks alone, 

and although Franklin met him in all sorts 
72 


UNCLE CYCLONE 


of places around town, Cyclone would never 
recognize him. 

Soon after Bridget joined the family, she 
nearly gave notice because of Cyclone’s rude 
behavior. 



“ CYCLONE ” 


It was cornin’ out' of church, I was,” she 
said ; and there he was waitin’ for me on the 
shteps as gintlemanly as you plaze. And 
Father Malone, who ’d been so kind as to pass 
the time of day wid me as I came out, says, 

73 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


‘ Shure, Miss Donnahue, is that your little 
dog? ’ and sez I, ' Faith he is ! Just watch 
and see how swate he looks at me/ And then 
if he did n’t turn his head away, and pretind he 
was another dog ! The shame of it, mum ! 
And before the praste too ! I never lived 
with folks before to be so treated.” 

But at home Cyclone was quite a different 
person. He became tenderly attached to 
Weejums’ kittens, and allowed them to sharpen 
their claws on his legs. 

One day when Mrs. Wood was in the 
kitchen, she saw Cyclone and two other dogs 
trot around the house in single file, and enter 
the woodshed. Cyclone led his guests to the 
box where the kittens lay heaped in a downy 
pile, with one little pansy face turned upward, 
and wagged his tail. Then the two other 
dogs also wagged their tails, for they saw 
that it was the thing to do. 

“ Did you ever see anything so sweet in 
all your life ? ” Cyclone asked. 

‘‘ No, never,” they replied, and, turn- 

74 


UNCLE CYCLONE 


ing around, they all trotted off in solemn 
style. 

‘‘ Oh, Mother ! said Eunice, flying into 
the parlor one day, “ Clyde got out of the 
box, and Cyclone put her back again.” 

Clyde was the smartest of Weejums’ family, 
and the first to stagger around on the soft 
little paws that double up so uncomfortably 
when one tries to hurry ! But the others 
soon followed, and came along behind with 
high continual mews, and trembling tails held 
straight up in the air. 

Minoose was the black one, and his name 
was supposed to be the Indian word for 
‘‘ kitty.” Fan-baby, the third, was remark- 
able for not knowing what color she was 
supposed to be, or how to purr. She never 
found out the color, and did not learn how to 
purr until she was nearly three months old ; 
then she began to purr, and purred every 
minute for two weeks. Strangers passing the 
house heard her purring on the porch, and 
the family was often amused by hearing 
75 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


the purr coming through the halls after 
dark. 

She adapted it to meal-times, and invented 
a lovely tremolo purr for drinking milk, 
and a fierce staccato purr for meat and other 
chewed things. Finally Mrs. Wood grew 
so tired of Fan-baby’s purr that she gave her 
away to a nice little girl who owned a pug 
dog, and it was the sight of this dog that first 
taught Fan-baby how to stop purring. 

Cyclone took great care of the kittens when 
they were young, and brought them back from 
all kinds of dangerous places. Minoose would 
follow strangers down the street, and then for- 
get how to come home ; and Clytie would 
scramble up a tree in the back yard, and not 
know how to get down. Cyclone would sit 
under the tree, and bark sympathetically, while 
Clytie tried first one front paw and then the 
other, with no success, until Weejums would 
come to the rescue, and explain that, of 
course, you have to come down back-to. 
Cyclone saved Weejums a great deal of trou- 
76 


UNCLE CYCLONE 


ble in this way, by letting her know when the 
children needed her. 

But when they reached the large-eared stage, 
and their blue eyes changed to the mature 
green of older cats, Cyclone's occupation was 
gone. He looked in vain for a kitten to bring 
home, and one day, after quite a long search, 
he found one. It was a maltese kitten, very 
thin and absurd-looking, and no one knew 
where it came from. 

Oh, Mother, can't we keep it ? " Eunice 
said in delight. ‘‘You know you always said 
we should have a maltese kitten if anybody 
gave us one." 

“ Yes ; but this was n't given to us, except 
by Cyclone. Some little girl has lost her 
kitten, and is probably crying over it now. 
You remember the way you felt when Weejums 
was gone." 

“ Well, but how 'll we get it back to the little 
girl ? Cyclone won't tell where he found it." 

“Perhaps it'll be advertised," Mrs. Wood 
said. “ We 'll wait a few days and see." 

77 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


But nobody claimed Ivanhoe/’ as Eunice 
called him, and presently Mrs. Wood discov- 
ered why he seemed so destitute of connections. 

He had fits. 

They were fearful maltese fits, and generally 
took place while the family was at table, so 
that they would all have to take up their feet 
and sit upon them during the rest of the meal. 
He was not encouraged to appear in the dining- 
room, but, being a very thin cat, it was easy for 
him to shoot in between Bridget’s feet when 
she opened the door. Franklin called him the 
slate pencil, and said that he had but one di- 
mension ; and Eunice looked him over very 
carefully to see if any part of him was miss- 
ing. But Mrs. Wood explained that Franklin 
meant only that Ivanhoe was a very long cat, 
and neither wide nor deep. Even his purr 
was so long and thin that Franklin said it 
could have been wound on a spool like thread. 
There was none of the baritone richness that 
one heard in Minoose’s purr when he was 
chewing his plush mouse. 

78 


UNCLE CYCLONE 


Minoose kept this mouse behind the guitar 
case under the piano, and would scramble half- 
way up the portieres with it, switching his tail 
at the same time. But Ivanhoe did not admire 
him for any of these little-boy attempts to show 
off. Ivanhoe had manners, and won Wee- 
jums* heart because of his gallant ways, and 
also because his tail was longer than those of 
her own children. 

But Mrs. Wood decided that he should go, 
as soon as she could find some one who was 
willing to own him ; so one day, after the 
cabbage-and-lettuce woman had called, Ivanhoe 
was missing. But much to everybody’s sur- 
prise, Eunice never even mentioned it, and went 
around with her usual tranquil expression. 

The explanation of this came two days later, 
when the door-bell rang, and a strange little girl 
announced proudly : ‘‘ I Ve brought back your 
kitty. He came to our house. We live out 
of town.” 

“Thank you so much, dear,” Mrs. Wood 
said, trying to look pleased, Bnt how did 
79 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


you know it was our kitty? Have you seen 
him here in the yard ? ” 

“ Oh, I read the direction on his collar. It 
was ’most rubbed out, but I read it. I ’m in 
the second grade.” And pulling Ivanhoe’s 
head around until he meekly choked, she ex- 
hibited some very fine printing on the frayed 
orange ribbon that he wore. Mrs. Wood 
remembered that Ivanhoe had worn this rib- 
bon, and that she had allowed him to keep it, 
as a kind of trousseau, when he went away. 
But she did not know that the ribbon said : 
^‘Please return to Eunice Wood, 1132 Burn- 
side Ave.” 

Thank you very much for your kindness, 
dear. But would n’t you like to keep the kitty 
yourself? We have several more.” 

‘‘ Oh, so have we ! Our old cat ’s hid ’em in 
the barn; but we heard ’em squealin’. I guess 
they ’ll come out soon.” 

Mrs. Wood sighed, but Ivanhoe had already 
vanished behind the house, so she allowed the 
child to depart, with a little cake, and a fresh 
80 


UNCLE CYCLONE 


piece of that same orange ribbon for her own 
kitty. 

“ Eunice, why did you write that address on 
the collar?” Mrs. Wood asked, when her 
daughter came in from school with Ivanhoe 
under one arm. 

Why, you never told me not to,” Eunice 
said. ‘‘ You know you never told me not to. 
Mother. I just thought if he happened to 
run away from whoever you gave him to, he 
might 's well come back here.” 

Mrs. Wood’s eyes twinkled as they sat down 
to dinner, but grew grave again as she heard 
Ivanhoe plunging down the cellar stairs in his 
most maltese fit of all. 

I suppose he ought to be killed,” she 
thought ; ‘‘ but no cat’s fits are worth a child’s 
happiness, and at least, fits are n’t contagious. 

‘‘ Biddy,” she said as the door opened, do 
you suppose Ivanhoe hurt himself just now ? 
He made such a noise ! ” 

‘^Shure, mum, he’s all right now again. 
He run straight into the ice-box while I was 

6 8i 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


fixin’ the melon. I tuk him out meself, and 
the fit was off him.'’ 

The cats all slept in the cellar, which was 
nicely warmed by the furnace ; but the rabbits 
suffered when the cold weather came, and one 
morning, after a severe snow-storm, there was 
nothing to be seen of their house but the 
cupola. Franklin dug it out with much 
anxiety, fearing to find them frozen to death. 
But instead of being dead, they were all piled 
in one large warm heap on top of each 
other, like popcorn balls, and seemed more 
than ready for their breakfast. Mrs. Wood 
thought it was a wonder that they had lived 
through the night, and advised Franklin to 
put them in the cellar while the cold weather 
lasted. 

So it happened that when Bridget did not 
close the cellar door at night. Cyclone, who 
slept in the kitchen, would be awakened by 
strange tweaks and nips at his tail, which 
called forth yelps of indignation. But not 
being a hunting dog, he never attempted to 
82 





■, 'S-. 

.'7 . V . 7> . . 


-V' 


•in •«<- 


- V' - 

-t V '*v . .;• '^•, ^ /'.• . 




s%-,- • '• 










.. . 




■ ’ , .'■•^ t£fC^ •■•V i'i- - ' . ' 

.^* ■ ■ ^>. >■• 


K* 













UNCLE CYCLONE 


catch the wicked white heels that went scud- 
ding back through the darkness. He had 
decided that the rabbits were a new kind of 
kitten, and had a claim on his indulgence as 
uncle to the Wood family. 

One night Mrs. Wood heard a most ex- 
traordinary noise in the kitchen, and, creeping 
down with her candle, interrupted a grand 
game of tag between all the animals, — dog, 
cats, and rabbits, — who were chasing each 
other around the room in a mad circle, accom- 
panied by stamps, spits, and barks. It was so 
evidently a game, that Mrs. Wood felt sorry 
to have disturbed them, and sat down to watch 
the fun. But her candle had broken the spell, 
and like fairies when the cock crows, they 
became once more their daytime selves ; 
indeed, most of them looked very much 
ashamed of having been caught at such 
antics. 

“ Perhaps they really are fairies,'’ Mrs. 
Wood thought, going into the pantry after 
crackers, “and have taken these disguises just 

83 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


to play with my children and me. Very likely, 
if I 'd come down sooner, I might have seen 
them in their real forms.” 

When she returned, they all gathered around 
her, and teased for crackers ; while Samuel, the 
pet of the bunnies, jumped into her lap. But 
before all the crackers were gone, the candle 
burned low and went out, and only the faint 
light of the stove kept her from stepping on 
any of the little soft paws that followed her to 
the stairs. 

Fairies, good-night ! ” she called gently as 
she left them. But only the friendly whack, 
whack of Cyclone’s tail on the floor answered 
her from the darkness. 

I think, Biddy,” she said the next morning, 
that it might be better to keep the kitchen- 
door closed at night.” 

Soon after this there was a great thaw, and 
one morning, when Bridget went down to the 
ice-box, there were six inches of water in the 
cellar. 

Oh, the poor animules ! ” she cried, wring- 
84 


UNCLE CYCLONE 


ing her hands. And then she laughed so hard 
that the children came running into the kitchen 
to see what was the matter. 

Coom down ! Coom down ! she called. 
“ All the rabbits do be floatin’ ’round on 
boxes ! ” 

Each rabbit was enthroned, sullen and 
dignified, on a box of its own ; while the cats 
sat in a disgusted row on top of the coal-bin. 
It was such a funny sight that the children 
laughed even louder than Biddy, although 
they were worried for the safety of their pets, 
ow ’ll we ever get them out?” Eunice 

asked. 

There was a pattering of feet behind them, 
and Cyclone came down to join the party. 

“Here — I know!” said Franklin, seizing 
him by the collar. “ Look, Cyclone I Seek 
— seek ! Go fetch ’em in.” 

But Cyclone only ran up and down the 
steps in terrible distress, not having the 
slightest idea what Franklin wanted. 

“Seek — seek,” Franklin said again, point- 

85 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


ing to the rabbits, and, after barking frantically 
for a minute. Cyclone plunged into the water. 
He reached the first box, and scrambled 
up beside Dulcie, who, not appreciating his 
company in the least, moved over as near as 
she could to the edge, and bit him on the leg. 
Cyclone yelped and leaped down again ; while 
the boat rocked and swayed dangerously from 
his final kick. 

This seemed to give him an idea ; so plant- 
ing his nose against the box, he pushed it 
gently towards the stairs, wagging his dripping 
tail in response to the children’s shouts of 
praise. 

Good old boy, — fetch, fetch ! ” Franklin 
said, as Dulcie was safely landed, and Cyclone 
struggled back after another. 

In ten minutes more he had rescued all the 
rabbits, and a board was laid across from the 
stairs to the coal-bin for the cats to descend. 
They stalked over in haughty silence, one 
after the other, and ignored the whole proceed- 
ing from that time forth. Indeed, Weejums 
86 


UNCLE CYCLONE 


could never even bear to hear it mentioned ; 
perhaps because she felt that her dignity had 
been compromised. 

But Cycjone breakfasted with the family 
that morning, and his extra bone was as sweet 
as his heart was proud. 


87 


THE ALLEY CATS KITTEN 


CHAPTER SEVEN 

THE FAMILY IN THE PIANO BOX 

HEN Franklin went out into 
the yard on his birthday morn- 
ing, he stopped and stared 
very hard at something that 
had never been there before. 

It was a piano box, with an open space 
fenced off at one side, and a square hole lead- 
ing into it, and at the end of the box was a 
real door, high enough for a boy to use. 

“ Why, where — Franklin began, and then 
he heard a shout of laughter from Eunice and 
Bridget and Kenneth, who were watching him 
from the shed. Mrs. Wood was there, too, 
smiling at his astonishment. 

“They ’re chickens,” she explained. “ Grand- 
mother thought you did n’t spend enough 
time out of doors.” 



88 


FAMILY IN THE PIANO BOX 


When did they come ? '' Franklin asked. 

Last night. And the house was built 
yesterday, while you were over at Fred’s. 
That’s Grandma’s present too.” 

“Well, I’ll be — thunderstruck!” Frank- 
lin exclaimed. “ Oh, I say, what a bully pad- 
lock 1 Is n’t Grandmother a brick ? Are they 
in there now ? ” 

“ Go and see,” said his mother, handing 
him the key. 

Franklin unlocked the door, with shining 
eyes and a new feeling of importance. There 
was money in chickens, everybody said. 

A fine young rooster was standing solemnly 
in his pan of food, surrounded by five admir- 
ing wives, who cocked their heads at Franklin 
as he approached. 

“ Plymouth Rocks 1 ” he exclaimed. “ Oh, 
Mother, these are first-rate chickens 1 ” 

“ Let them out 1 ” Mrs. Wood called. 
“ The little door lifts up.” 

Franklin opened the door, and the fowls 
strutted out in thoughtful procession, winking 
89 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


their lemon-colored eyes at the sun. Then 
the rooster drew a long breath, raised his head 
to an alarming height, and, after several at- 
tempts, indulged in a strange sound which 
he had evidently planned for a crow. His 
wives all looked impressed; but Franklin 
laughed, and Eunice, who came running 
out in her coat and red pussy hood, 
asked : ‘‘ Oh, Franklin, is that poor hen 

sick?’' Mrs. Wood and Kenneth came 
out too, and discussed names for the new 
arrivals. 

“ They ought to have colonial titles,” Mrs. 
Wood said ; “ but I can’t think of anything but 
‘ Praise God Barebones,’ and that would n’t 
be handy to call one by.” 

There was John Alden, Mother,” Frank- 
lin suggested. 

Why, of course, and Priscilla — and Rose 
Standish.” 

‘‘And Columbus!” added Kenneth, with 
pride. 

“ They don’t all need to be Puritans,” 
90 


FAMILY IN THE PIANO BOX 


Franklin said. I ’d rather have some of 
them more modern. Just see that one there 
with the extra ruffle on her comb ! I ’m go- 
ing to call her Veatra Peck. And the stiff 
one that does stunts with her toes every time 
she puts 'em down, — doesn’t she walk like 
Miss Hannah Wakefield ? I ’m going to call 
her Hannah.” 

“ Hannah Squawk,” Eunice said. “ That’s 
a pretty name.” 

‘‘Uncle Edward sent word that he’ll pay 
five cents apiece for eggs when your hens be- 
gin laying,” Mrs. Wood said. “ He always 
likes a boiled egg for his breakfast, and can 
never be sure that store eggs are perfectly 
fresh.” 

Franklin was delighted, and went up that 
evening to talk business with Mr. Bates. His 
uncle said that he knew of still another gen- 
tleman who would pay as much for fresh 
eggs, — indeed, he and this man had become 
acquainted through sharing a bad egg at a 
restaurant. They said that nothing made 

91 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


people such good friends as having a common 
enemy. 

But Franklin’s hens did not begin to lay 
until March, and then they seemed to have no 
ideas at all about the proper place for eggs. 
Franklin found them on the hen-house floor, 
and out in the yard, and very often they were 
broken. One hen persisted in laying what 
Eunice called “soft-boiled eggs,” — those 
without a shell, — until Franklin put crushed 
oyster-shells in her food ; and then she laid 
ordinary Easter eggs like the others. 

Somebody gave Eunice a bantam named 
Flossy, who laid cunning little white eggs 
like marshmallows, which Eunice had for her 
breakfast. 

Franklin received enough from the sale of 
the eggs to buy wheat screenings, and other 
food for his “ birds,” as he called them ; but he 
made nothing more, and soon began to feel 
the disadvantage of owning such idiotic pets. 

“ They never reason about anything,” he 
complained ; “ and they have n’t any sense of 
92 


FAMILY IN THE PIANO BOX 


humor. They can’t see a joke even when it’s 
on them.” 

“ I don’t like ’em,” Kenneth said ; they ’re 
not warm and cuddly like Weejums, or funny 
like Cyclone. They ’re not much different 
from what they are fricasseed — ’cept for the 
gravy.” 

Soon after the hens began to lay, they 
showed a desire to sit, so Franklin bought a 
dozen grocery-store eggs for Veatra Peck ; but 
had to move her into the woodshed, because 
all the other hens tried to sit at the same time 
in Veatra’s box. He felt rather surprised and 
grieved that Veatra should stop laying while she 
sat, but said, ‘‘ I suppose she thinks she laid 
all those grocery-store eggs, and feels that 
she’s done enough.” 

He waited until Veatra had sat for a week; 
then a fit of impatience seized him. 

“ I don’t believe all those eggs are good,” 
he announced at breakfast one day. 

It is n’t time for them to be out yet,” his 
mother said. 


93 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


“Yes, I know; but Veatra ought not to be 
wasting her strength hatching bad eggs. I ’m 
just going to investigate a little, and see how 
they ’re coming on.’* 

“ Of course you know that if you do that, 
it will kill the chickens.” 

“ Not the way I ’ve thought of.” 

And that day after school the way was car- 
ried into effect. 

Franklin chipped a little hole in each shell, 
and pasted court-plaster over the hole in those 
eggs that contained chickens. The others he 
threw away, and was quite triumphant to find 
that there were only seven good eggs out of 
the dozen. 

“You see,” he told his mother, “it 
would have been such a pity for Veatra to 
sit another whole week on something that 
was never meant for anything but an ome- 
lette ! ” 

Mrs. Wood never expected the chickens to 
hatch ; but they did, every one of them, — this 
is a true story, — and grew up to be exactly 
94 


FAMILY IN THE PIANO BOX 


the kind of chickens that one would expect 
from grocery-store eggs. They were none of 
them brothers and sisters, or even distant 
cousins, and all seemed like dreadfully ordi- 
nary fowls. But Franklin enjoyed them all 
the more, because each one that came out was 
such a surprise. He rose at five o’clock in 
the morning when the first was due, and stole 
downstairs in his nightgown to feel under the 
hen. She responded with her usual angry 
squawk, but at the same time he heard a little 
soft, sweet sound like the note of a bird, and 
drew forth a mouse-colored ball of down that 
looked at him confidingly out of round baby 
eyes. 

“ Say, you ’re the fellow I came to meet ! ” 
Franklin said, setting the thing on its tiny feet. 
And he mixed some corn-meal mush for it, 
which Veatra ate up immediately. After 
breakfast there were two more chickens, and 
before night the whole seven were cuddled 
under Veatra’s wing. 

“ What *s that on the back of the stove ? ” 


95 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


asked Biddy the next morning, as Eunice came 
into the kitchen. 

Oh, that's my incubator with an egg in it. 
Vm goin* to have some chickens, too." 

The incubator was an old candy box, stuffed 
with cotton and hung on top of the range. 

Whin it hatches, you can have my bist 
bonnet to raise it in," said Biddy, disrespect- 
fully. But she was never called upon to keep 
her promise, for the egg baked hard on the 
next washing day, and Eunice ate it. 

Franklin set Hannah on some home-made 
eggs ; but she used to leave them to fly at the 
cats, and none of them hatched but an egg of 
Flossy's, which was named Fairy Lilian." 
She afterwards grew up to be an enormous 
white rooster, with shaggy legs, and a great 
deal of manner. 

When the warm weather came, the cats were 
fed in the yard, and as the chickens were 
always escaping from their own quarters, there 
were many pitched battles over the food. The 
hens stole things from the kittens, and pecked 
96 


FAMILY IN THE PIANO BOX 


them cruelly when they tried to interfere. 
Once Eunice saw John Alden seize a whole 
mutton-chop bone, and hurry around the 
house with it, followed by all the cats. It 
seemed too unfair, and Eunice wrote a note to 
Franklin that day about it, in school. 

Dear Franklin : — 

I hate your hens. 

Your loving sister Eunice. 

But the next day something happened that 
cured John Alden forever of imposing upon 
those weaker than himself. He noticed a 
strange cat taking dinner with the others, and 
thought, ‘‘ Ah, here ’s the chance for me ! The 
natural shyness of this visitor will prevent him 
from resenting any intrusion.” And, with a 
haughty stride, he landed in their midst. 

The strange cat looked up, planted one paw 
firmly on the piece of fried potato he was eat- 
ing, and clawed out one of Johnny's eyes. 

The assault was so unexpected that Johnny 
could only stagger one-sidedly away, and sit 
7 9Z 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


down in the drinking pan to recover his bal- 
ance. He knew that no hen could ever 
admire him again, and that the slowest cater- 
pillar would be able to evade his peck. It 
was terrible. 

Fortunately Biddy had seen the attack from 
the window, and was able to testify that none 
of the family cats had done it. 

‘‘It was a cat with a nose that dishgraced 
the Hivin he sat under,” she said. “ But, oh, 
the shplendid foight in him ! He was loike a 
definder of innocence.” 

Eunice was sorry for Johnny, but felt that her 
cats had been avenged, and stole out that evening 
to make friends with the defender of innocence. 

He was skulking under a neighbor’s barn, 
and peered out at her with unfriendly, suspi- 
cious eyes set in scratched lids. Eunice had 
seen “ Thomas ” cats before, — those with broad 
bland noses who sit out in front of fish-shops 
and have self-respect, — but she had never met 
such a cat as this. 

“ He does n’t seem to like me,” she thought, 

98 


FAMILY IN THE PIANO BOX 


feeling rather hurt. ‘‘ Come, poor kitty, kitty, 
and get some milk ! ” 

But at this point the barn cat screwed up 
his torn nose with a peculiarly threatening 
effect, and gave one long slow spit, most ter- 
rible to hear and behold. Eunice dropped her 
saucer of milk and fled. She had not supposed 
that she would ever live to hear a cat speak to 
her like that. 

He did not call on Weejums after this, ex- 
cepting at night, when everybody else was in 
bed ; and Eunice wrote a song about him that 
she and Kenneth used to sing as a duet. Some- 
times one took the alto part, and sometimes 
the other, but in any case the cat always fled. 
He told Weejums that it was because it made 
him feel so hollow. 







tr 


.. 









I hear the voice of a poor, poor 







1 1 








— * 1 1— 

tJ 

cat, His 

voice is 

thin as a 

i— ^ 

thin, thin 


99 


LofC. 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 



But one night Torn-nose relieved his empti- 
ness by eating one of Veatra Peck’s chickens. 

“ I ’ll shoot that old barn cat, you see if I 
don’t ! ” Franklin said furiously. But Mrs. 
Wood said that it would mean one less chicken 
for her to chase. To tell the truth, she was 
getting rather tired of them, for every day, 
while Franklin was at school, they caused mis- 
understandings with the neighbors. 

“ If they’d only wait till he gets home,” she 
said ; “ but they commit all their worst outrages 
in the morning.” 

No sooner would she sit down to her sew- 
ing than there would come a polite ring at the 
door-bell, and a certain Mr. Teechout would 
say, “ Pardon me, madam, but your fowls are 
trespassing on my strawberry beds.” 


lOO 


FAMILY IN THE PIANO BOX 


And Mrs. Wood would apologize, and has- 
ten forth to drive the fowls from their unlaw- 
ful picnic grounds. But she would scarcely 
have returned to the sitting-room before there 
would be a thundering knock at the back door, 
and she would hear Biddy's voice raised in irate 
argument with the woman across the alley. 

You just tell your missus, if she don't keep 
them chickens out of my cabbages, I 'll wring 
their necks 1 " 

Then the poor missus " would have to 
run out in the hot sun again, and jump 
cabbages until her unruly brood had been 
persuaded to return. 

I could n't take but three cabbages in one 
leap at first," she told Franklin ; but now," 
she added proudly, “ I can do five ! " 

She knew that her son admired an ath- 
letic woman, and talked a great deal among 
the boys about having the only mother 
who could drive a nail straight. But when 
Franklin spoke of wanting a boat at the lake 
that summer, she said that he could not 


lOI 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


possibly afford to have one unless he sold 
his chickens. 

But, Mother, I ’m not going to buy the 
whole boat ! Our share will only come to 
about thirteen dollars.” 

“ I don't think we ought to afford even 
half a boat, unless you sell the chickens. No- 
body loves them anyhow. It is n’t as if they 
were ^ real folks,’ like the cats.” 

Franklin thought it over, and decided that, 
as he made no money from his hens, it might 
be as well to get rid of them. It was true, also, 
as his mother said, that nobody had loved them. 
But then they were not in the least demonstra- 
tive themselves, and did not seem to require 
affection. Indeed, their reserve amounted 
almost to coldness when any advances were 
made. And in addition to this, they had 
once caused Franklin to appear quite foolish 
in school. 

He had kept a little diary of their doings, 
labelled “Plymouth Rock Record,” and one 
day it happened to be on his desk when the 


102 


FAMILY IN THE PIANO BOX 


principal came by. She picked it up with much 
pride, thinking that here was a boy who really 
loved his United States History, and, turning 
to the first entry, read : Priscilla laid a hard- 
boiled egg to-day.” 

Franklin wondered why it was that she left 
the room so suddenly, but suspected afterwards 
that she had been laughing at him. 

“ There 's something silly about hens,” he 
thought. ‘‘No matter what they do, if you own 
them, you get drawn into it.” 

He also told his mother that they were no 
good to photograph. 

“You mean that they won’t pose?” she 
asked. 

“Oh, it isn’t that! They’ll pose if you 
tie their legs. But they have n’t any front 
view to their faces, — only a right and wrong 
side.” 

A few days later when Mrs. Wood was 
coming up the street, she saw people stop in 
front of her house, look down at their feet, and 
then go off laughing. She hurried home, and 
103 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


found this sign tacked in the middle of the 
sidewalk. 


FOR SALE ! 

ONE LARGE, HANDSOME 

PLYMOUTH-ROCK ROOSTER, 

AND HIS FINE FAMILY OF LAYING HENS. 
CHEAP ! INQUIRE WITHIN. 

Also one pretty playful kitten — nice pet 
for ladies and children — thrown in / 


Mrs. Wood took up the notice, and went in 
to tell Franklin that his cousins, Mary and 
Wyman Bates, had offered to buy his hens. She 
had been calling on their mother that afternoon, 
who said that the family had decided to raise 
their own fresh eggs, and would be delighted 
to begin with chickens who were, in a way, re- 
lated to them. 

So the next day Mary and Wyman came 
down with their man and a cart, and took off 
most of the hens. John Alden did not go, 
104 


FAMILY IN THE PIANO BOX 


because, at the last minute, Franklin decided 
that he could not part with him, and Wyman 
himself admitted that he would quite as soon 
have a rooster with the usual number of eyes. 

Eunice’s bantam Flossy also remained to 
keep Johnny company, and as he was very 
fond of her, he never missed his other wives 
at all, or if he did, he never mentioned it. 
And as Johnny had always been such a staid, 
gentlemanly old bird, Mrs. Wood went to bed 
that night feeling that all her troubles were over. 

But she did not know him. 



105 


r 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


CHAPTER EIGHT 

A LOSS AND SOME GAINS 

UNNY GREY had not been well 
since the time when the water 
came into the cellar, and she 
afterwards developed a strange 
kind of bunny “ grip,” which 
made her most melancholy. 

Franklin was too much absorbed in the sale 
of his chickens to pay her much attention, and 
one morning was startled to find Kenneth 
tying a black stocking on the cellar door. 

I told you she was worse,'' Kenneth sniffed, 
and took Franklin down to see her still form 
laid out in a grape-basket, with her hind legs 
tied up with pink ribbon, and her head pillowed 
in parsley. 

“ Yes, but I thought she was getting better," 
io6 



A LOSS AND SOME GAINS 


Franklin said. She was gaining flesh. Just 
see how round her stomach is ! ” 

“ Yes, but I did that/' Kenneth explained. 

She was quite thin before I began." 

Began what ? " asked Franklin, astonished. 
‘‘ Blew her up with the bicycle pump. You 
see she had sniffles, and could n’t breathe from 
the outside, so I thought if she was full enough 
of air, she could breathe from the inside. 
You don’t s’pose it hurt her, do you ? ’’ 
Franklin opened his mouth wrathfully, to 
tell Kenny what a cruel thing he had done ; 
but seeing how anxious the poor little red-eyed 
face had become, said instead : “ Well, I don’t 
believe it did her any good^ so I would n’t try 
it again, if I were you. But very likely she ’d 
have died anyway. You see she looks quite 
pale around the nose.’’ 

Eunice and Kenneth had the funeral that 
afternoon, with Cyclone hitched to the express 
cart. But it did not end well, because Cyclone 
got into a fight with another dog, and smashed 
the cart, and some little street children ran 
107 


THE ALLEY CAT’S .KITTEN 


away with the grape-basket, thinking that Bun 
Grey’s legs were asparagus. So none of the 
funeral returned but the two chief mourners, 
who planted some potatoes in the grave that 
they had dug for Bun Grey. 

‘‘You see ’t would be such a pity to waste 
that nice hole,” Eunice said. “ I ’m glad it 
was n’t Sam.” 

Kenneth sniffed again, but said nothing, and 
Franklin admired him so much for the way in 
which he bore his loss, that the next day he 
shook some of his hen-money out of the red 
bank, and went down-town. 

“ More rabbits, I suppose,” Mrs. Wood 
thought patiently, as she began to wrap up 
dishes to go to the lake. 

But it was not rabbits this time, it was worse ; 
and, as usual, it was something that Mrs. 
Wood had never dreamed of telling him not 
to get. Guinea-pigs had been discouraged, so 
they were not guinea-pigs who greeted Ken- 
neth from behind the wire of their little box at 
breakfast the next morning. No, they 
io8 


were 


A LOSS AND SOME GAINS 


much smaller and more slender, particularly as 
to tail, of which they possessed half a yard 
apiece. And they were white and pink-eyed, 
with what Eunice called whittle-noses,*' and, 
in other words, they were rats. 

‘‘You see they’ll be so handy to carry 
around,” Franklin said, with a beaming smile. 
“ They ’re such small animals.”^ 

And Kenneth’s joy was enough to make one 
forget even that they were rats. His grief 
over Bun Grey faded, in the contemplation of 
those long pink tails. And when he found 
that their owners would actually run up his 
arm to his shoulder, and nip his ear, his delight 
was complete. It was great fun, too, to watch 
them scramble up and down inside the wire 
netting. One caught such strange views of 
their noses and chins. 

“ When you look up at a rat’s chin, it ’s 
weak,” Franklin said they must have been 
made to be seen from above.” 

Weejums left her two new little kittens. 
Mustard and Elijah, to come and examine the 
109 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


latest arrivals. They were rats, she decided, 
— her nose told her that much, — but so pale 
and peculiar ! She wondered if pink eyes 
would taste any better than black ; but several 
smart cuffs on the ears persuaded her that pink 
eyes were meant only to look at, so she walked 
off very stiffly, and sat down “ back-to.” 

School was closed now, and Kenneth played 
with his new pets nearly all the time. They 
grew so tame that he could put them down to 
run on the floor, and catch them again quite 
easily. 

But one day, before the family started for 
their cottage at the lake, one of the rats disap- 
peared. 

‘‘ I think he ’s got into the wall,*' Kenneth 
said ; “ ’cause I heard him scratching round in 
there when I went to bed. Do you s’pose 
he ’ll starve to death. Mother ? There won’t 
be much to eat after we go.” 

But Mrs. Wood said that she did not think 
there was any danger of Snowdrop’s starving, 
or even feeling hungry where he had gone, be- 
IIO 


A LOSS AND SOME GAINS 


cause, although she never told the children, 
she knew where that place was. 

She and Biddy were sitting up late the night 
before, finishing the packing, when they heard 
some one in the kitchen say, ‘‘ O-ow, yerr-or- 
wow-wow-O-wow ! ” and Mrs. Wood recog- 
nized the voice of her tortoise-shell grandchild, 
— the reserved and haughty Weejums. She 
went out to see what was the matter, and 
found the cat writhing in what appeared to be 
agonies of stomach-ache. ‘‘So that's where 
he went ! ” she said, rubbing the last resting- 
place of Snowdrop with tender care. Castor- 
oil and a hot-water bag followed, and the next 
day Weejums was fit to travel. But as long 
as she lived, the sight of a white rat was to her, 
what the memories of watermelon amd straw- 
berries are to certain people after a sea-voyage. 

Weejums travelled in a separate basket, with 
Mustard and Elijah, and as a new home had 
been found for Minoose, there was only one 
other basket of cats to go to the lake. 

Minoose had gone to the principal of the 


III 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


children’s school, accompanied by his plush 
mouse, and she had immediately become as 
foolish over him as any one could have de- 
sired. Soon after leaving home he sent a 
beautiful set of jewelry to Weejums — locket, 
chain, and earrings — of the kind that comes 
mounted on a card at the toy-shops, for twenty- 
five cents. Weejums looked lovely in the 
locket, but as her ears had never been pierced, 
she was obliged to use the earrings as tail 
clasps. 

She wore them to the lake, and Clyde and 
Ivanhoe wore bright worsted collars made on 
a “ knitter,’' — Ivanhoe’s red, and Clyde’s 
light blue. Clyde, being fair, usually wore 
blue, although pale green was almost equally 
becoming ; and this being a great occasion, 
Ivanhoe was allowed to wear his toy watch, 
and the glass lion’s-head stickpin that had 
come in a penny prize package. 

Cyclone and the cats always travelled with 
the family, but John Alden and the rabbits 
had to go out on the load with th^ furniture. 

1 12 


A LOSS AND SOME GAINS 


“ I could n’t find a box high enough for 
Johnny to stand up in,” Franklin said, as he 
brought in his tool chest. “ Guess he ’ll have 
to scooch this trip.” 

But the limberness of Johnny’s legs when 
he was turned loose at the lake showed that 
the trip had not really injured him. The rab- 
bits also were allowed to run where they 
pleased, and gave delighted skips and kicks 
through the fern. Weejums cast one glance 
at the carpenters who were finishing some re- 
pairs in the house, and departed to the woods, 
where she remained for three days. She had 
never cared for the society of men, possibly 
because there were none in the family. 

While she was away. Mustard and Elijah 
learned to eat fish, and spit at her when she 
returned. They were orange-colored babies, 
with corn-flower blue eyes, and looked like 
nice, warm muffins. 

Every morning, Eunice and Kenneth fished 
off the dock, while Franklin pulled around in 
his half of the boat, and put on airs. He 
8 113 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


never went out very far unless some older per- 
son was with him, for both Mrs. Wood and 
Mrs. Lane had suffered so much from anxiety 
over the boat, that she was named the 



“A NICE WARM MUFFIN” 


“Worry.” But Fred Lane came out from 
town every night, and he and Franklin took 
wonderful rows in the sunset, sailing with 
umbrellas, taking the swells from the steamers, 
and doing other delightful and dangerous 
things. 

114 



A LOSS AND SOME GAINS 


Weejums was dreadfully afraid of the water 
at first, and would run back and forth in the 
road, howling, whenever the children went 
down to the dock. She seemed to think there 
was small chance of ever seeing them again. 
But when she found that fish came out of the 
water, her dislike of it changed to warm affec- 
tion. She would tease and coax until Eunice 
went down to catch her a fish, and would begin 
eating it almost before it was off the hook. 
The first fish she always finished herself, and 
the next she took up to the kittens. 

Sometimes, when the boat was tied to the 
dock, she would jump into it, and sit placidly 
in the stern, enjoying the slight motion made 
by the ripples, and apparently admiring the 
view. When the door of the locker was left 
open, she would creep inside for a nap, and 
once or twice she went rowing with the boys, 
before they discovered her presence. 

Ivanhoe and Clyde preferred to play on 
land, and indulged in regular gymnastic feats 
through the trees and shrubbery. Whenever 

115 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


Mrs. Wood went anywhere in the evening, 
they both escorted her, and dashed out from 
unexpected places with saucy tails, and whisk- 
ers stiff with mischief. They liked to tease 
Cyclone, by making him think that they were 
weasels and woodchucks, and they frightened 
people dreadfully who passed the house at 
night. But the children’s interest in them and 
their antics was soon lost in an event of greater 
importance. 

One evening when Mrs. Wood returned 
from a day in town, she was met at the train 
by Eunice and Kenneth, each wearing a look 
of great excitement, and carrying a little rab- 
bit. She knew that Dulcie had a hidden 
nest somewhere ; but these rabbits were too 
old to be Dulcie’s babies, so she concluded 
that some one had been sending the children 
presents. 

“ Mother ! ” began Eunice, in breathless 
tones. 

Oh, Mother!” interrupted Kenneth. 

Mother 1 ” they both said together. 

ii6 


A LOSS AND SOME GAINS 


“Yes, dears, they’re perfectly lovely. But 
where did they come from ? ” 

“Mother — ” began Eunice again. 

“But, Mother — ” broke in Kenneth. 

“ Oh, Mother ! ” exclaimed both children 
together, “ they ’re Sam’s ! ” 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


CHAPTER NINE 

AT THE LAKE 

r was true that Samuel had 
taken the family by surprise ; 
but no one thought any the less 
of him for it, — indeed he now 
commanded even more admira- 
tion than before, although his name was speed- 
ily changed to Luella-Marie. 

‘‘You see, all the animals behave so differ- 
ently at the lake from what they do at home,'* 
Eunice explained to a visitor, “ that it 's not at 
all surprising about Sam/' 

The three little bunnies were named Vase- 
line, Oliver Optic, and Sweetest Skipperty. 
Vaseline was maltese, with the most wonderful 
soft fur, and soft maltese eyes. Oliver was 
black and white, and Skipperty a small copy 
of his mother, as she had been at his age. 

ii8 



AT THE LAKE 


Oliver was Kenneth's rabbit, as Eunice had 
generously given him first choice of the three, 
and Kenneth took Oliver because he looked 
the strongest. Franklin had advised him to 
choose this one, as, being homely, it would be 
likely to live. 

“ I wonder what will happen next ! ” Mrs. 
Wood thought. “So far, John Alden is the 
only member of the family who has preserved 
his usual dignity.” 

She spoke of him to Mrs. Lane one day, 
saying, “ Do you know our rooster is so good, 
he has n't made me a bit of trouble since we 
came out here. He's even stopped crowing 
in the morning, because he found it annoyed 
us.'' 

A peculiar expression upon her neighbor's 
face caused her to ask quickly : “ Why, do 
you ever hear him ? '' 

“Well, — yes,'' admitted Mrs. Lane, with a 
smile. “He's in the habit of crowing under 
our windows on the other side of the house, 
from four to six every morning.” 

119 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


“ Good gracious ! ” Mrs. Wood exclaimed. 
“Why didn’t you mention it before? It 
would have been so easy to shut him up at 
night. This is really dreadful!” 

“Well, I didn’t exactly like to complain. 
And we generally go to sleep afterwards.” 

“ Dear me 1 ” said Mrs. Wood, “ Franklin 
and I will build him a little house this after- 
noon.” 

The house was a very simple affair, — only 
a little pointed coop, like those made for hens 
with chickens ; but it was not so simple to get 
Johnny into it at night. Franklin would 
softly approach on his blind side, and put out 
one hand very softly until it nearly touched 
him, when the surprised fowl would give a 
wild skip of terror, and scurry across the yard. 
Then he would recover his dignity, remark, 
“ And-a-(r^^/-cut-cut,” flap his wing, wink his 
eye, and apparently forget the matter. 

This would be repeated until Franklin 
wearied of attacks by stealth, and bore down 
upon him in open battle, assisted by the whole 
120 


AT THE LAKE 


family. They would chase him round and 
round the house, going in different directions 
to head him off ; but when finally cornered, 
he would duck and hop with great screeches 
of wrath, and slip from under their very hands. 

After a few of these bed-time races, his tail 
feathers passed away, leaving him a fowl of 
unclad and forbidding appearance. People 
passing the house asked, What kind of a 
bird is that ? ” But nobody seemed to know. 

“Poor Johnny!’* Mrs. Wood said, “why 
is it, Franklin, that you always catch him by 
the tail ? ” 

“ Why, Mother, you must remember that 
his tail is the last chance I ever get 1 ” 

The kittens liked to chase him in the day- 
time, so altogether he took plenty of exercise, 
and, it is to be hoped, rested well at night. 

One evening, during the pursuit, he plunged 
headlong into a neighbor’s cesspool, and 
swam out a smaller bird than when he had 
entered. But nobody tried to catch him that 
night, and his crow was so hoarse the next 

I2I 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


morning that the Lanes thought he must have 
taken cold. The experience may have taught 
him something, for the next time that the 
family went out to catch him, he was nowhere 
to be found. And it was not until Franklin 
happened to fall over the chicken-coop, on his 
return to the house, that a mottled sob from 
within revealed Johnny's whereabouts. He 
had given up the fight, and gone to bed by 
himself! 

Flossy, the bantam, also developed strange 
ideas in her new surroundings, and persisted 
in going to roost every night on Mrs. Wood’s 
foot. Her mornings she spent in playing 
with the rabbits, and laying a great many little 
white eggs. 

Because of her small size, Samuel’s baby 
bunnies took her for one of themselves, and 
invited her to join in all their games, while 
Skipperty became her dearest friend, and 
would dig holes for her with his strong little 
front paws. She would hunt through one 
hole carefully for bugs, and then start scratch- 


122 


AT THE LAKE 


ing in a new place, calling Skipperty, with entic- 
ing hen-noises, to come and dig for her. The 
two wandered all over the cottage together, — 
sometimes appearing upstairs, where Eunice, 
kept certain cigar boxes in which she was rais- 
ing beans and bananas. At least bananas had 
been planted, but they never came up, and 
something else was usually planted on top of 
them. One day it was carrots, and the love- 
liest little fuzz of green had begun to show 
above the earth ; but that same night it was 
gone, and Eunice said, ‘‘It makes me feel as 
if I 'd pretended the whole thing. Biddy, 
where do you s’pose it went to ? ” 

“ Well, I ’m not sayin’ where it wint,” Biddy 
replied, “but I’m thinkin’ it’s loikly to shtay 
there.” 

“ Kenney, you did n’t touch it, did you ? ” 
Kenneth regarded her with a scorn almost 
too deep for words. 

“/ touch your fool old spinach.^ You 
better ask Floss and Skip about it. I saw ’em 
hopping downstairs this afternoon.” 

123 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


“ It was carrots,” Eunice explained. 

“ Well, it ain’t noWy^ grumbled Kenneth. 

You blame me for everything.” ' 

When Eunice went out to feed the bunnies, 
she would call, Finny-fin, fin, fin, fin, FIN-ny ! ” 
(the “ rabbit yell ”), and then there would come 
a leaping and jumping of white tails, from every 
direction. Little ears would stand up sud- 
denly from the grass, like swift-opening flowers, 
and the ferns would tremble as with the rushing 
of many winds. John Alden always hurried to 
the scene, hoping every time that he might pass 
for a rabbit ; but Eunice addressed him with 
contempt, as Johnny-that-rooster-hum,” and 
drove him off, heedless of his reproachful 
squawks. 

But Flossy and Skip ate together, for it was 
quite useless to try and separate them. 

‘^That’s a curious friendship,” Mrs. Wood 
said ; “ I never heard of a case like it before.” 

“ I don’t think it’s strange at all,” Franklin 
said. “ She respects him because he can dig, 
and he admires her because she can lay eggs. 

124 


AT THE LAKE 


I Ve known lots of fellows who had n't half as 
much reason for friendship as that." 

But the greatest proof of their affection for 
each other came at the time of the big storm. 
Storms about Lake Minnetaska are sometimes 
terribly severe, and one day, when the heat had 
been intense and the darkening sky took on a 
green tinge, Mrs. Wood told the children to 
run for the cyclone cellar. This was a little 
cave, built under the cottage, where the family 
could be safe in case the cottage was blown 
away. In ordinary weather it served as a cool 
place for the milk. 

The children were taught to watch for a fun- 
nel-shaped cloud, and a regular cyclone drill 
was arranged, so that each should do his part, 
and not be frightened in case the cyclone came. 
For Mrs. Wood said, Being ready for an 
emergency does n't make it come any sooner." 
And when at last it did come, the family was 
able to reach the cellar in the very shortest 
possible time. 

Mrs. Wood took the family heirlooms, 

125 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


Biddy, her best bonnet, and Franklin, the dog ; 
while Eunice and Kenneth had been cautioned 
not to try and save anything but themselves. 
Their mother had told them that the cats could 
stick their claws into trees, or lie down so flat 
that the storm would not even see them, and 
the rabbits would run into their holes. 

When the storm broke, not a cat was in 
sight,*but the kind-hearted Biddy found Mus- 
tard and Elijah sleeping in a box near the 
back door, and scooped them into her apron 
as she ran. 

It was quite dreadful waiting there in the 
dark, with the shrieking of the wind above 
them, and crash after crash coming as things 
were blown down and swept away. Their cot- 
tage was not taken ; but another one was, and 
the roof was ripped off the hotel. The piazza 
chairs spun by them, and were hurled over the 
tops of falling trees into a neighboring lot. 
Johnny’s house, with Johnny in it, — he had 
thought it was night, and gone to bed, — exe- 
cuted a dance before the cellar door, and then 
126 


AT THE LAKE 


blew into the lake. Kenneth wept, and sat 
down in a pan of milk. It was terrible. 

But Johnny's house was afterwards fished 
out from under the dock, and Johnny himself 
was found roosting in a tree near the bank, 
for his house having no floor, he had been 
able to grasp this branch with his firm yellow 
legs, and allow his roof to take a swim without 
him. 

“ I think he meant to stay there always," 
Franklin said, as he climbed the tree and 
brought him down. ‘‘ He didn’t seem to be 
making any plans." 

Clyde and Ivanhoe turned up towards night, 
with eyes quite black from excitement, and, 
strange to say, Ivanhoe never had another fit 
after that experience. Franklin said, “ I sup- 
pose the cyclone was so much bigger a fit than 
he could ever hope to have, that it kind of 
discouraged him!" 

The children nearly stood on their heads 
trying to see into the rabbit-holes, and, diving 
into one of them, Franklin pulled out two 
127 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


struggling balls of fur, that kicked mud in 
every direction. 

Oh, the dear, dirty things!” said Eunice, 
embracing Vaseline and Oliver, until her face 
was well spattered from their indignant heels. 

“ Stamper 's all right,” said Franklin, peering 
into the dark passage ; I saw his nose wiggle. 
And there ’s another one in there behind him. 
I guess it’s Dulcie. She’d naturally be with 
the youngsters.” 

“Oh, Franklin, let’s hunt for Sam and Skip! 
They must be here, somewhere.” 

“ I could n’t see anything in Sam’s hole,” 
Franklin said, going to the other burrow. 

“ Put your arm in. It can’t get any 
muddier than it is.” 

Franklin thrust in his arm, and drew it out 
again with a great start. 

“ Snakes ? ” asked Eunice, turning pale. 

“ I don’t know. Something bit me.” 

“ Bit you ! Oh, where ?” 

“ I can’t find the place,” said Franklin, after 
examining his hand. “ The mud ’s too thick ! ” 
128 


AT THE LAKE 


“Then the snake must have bitten mud in- 
stead of you. But probably it dl soak through. 

“I’m not sure ’twas a snake, anyhow. 
There are n’t any poisonous snakes around 
here.” 

“ Poke it,” said Eunice. “ Here ’s a stick. 
Perhaps it ’ll run out.” Franklin poked ; and 
from the hole came the outraged, but familiar 
squawk of Flossy the bantam. 

“ How in thunder did she get in there ! ” 
Franklin exclaimed, hauling her out in spite 
of her angry pecks. But his question was 
immediately answered by Skipperty, who fol- 
lowed devotedly in the wake of his friend. 
Luella-Marie’s head followed Skip’s tail, and 
now the whole rabbit family was accounted 
for. 

“ I think they ’d have come out before,” 
said Franklin, “if Flossy hadn’t stopped up 
the hole.” 

“ Do you suppose Skip took her in there ? ” 

“ He must have. She ’d never have thought 
of it herself.” 


9 


129 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


Franklin, why do you suppose Weejums 
does n’t come home ? ” 

‘‘ Scared of the noise, I guess. She probably 
heard the storm hammering around, and took 
it for carpenters ! ” 

But the noise is all over now.” 

‘‘ Then she ’s likely to be home for supper.” 

But Weejums did not come home for 
supper, and she did not come home that 
night. 

‘‘ Mother,” said Franklin, after the younger 
children were in bed, the Worry ’ ’s gone.” 
What, — not sunk, Franklin ? ” 

“ No, just gone, — cleared, off the landscape. 
1 ’m afraid she ’s stolen. Some one must have 
taken her right after the storm, when we were 
all getting our breath back.” 

“ But you ’ll be sure to find her, — you and 
Fred between you. We can advertise.” 

“ Yes, I suppose we can. There are quite 
a lot of things to do.” 

But it was not a happy night for any one 
in the cottage. Eunice was wakeful on 
130 


AT THE LAKE 


account ofWeejums; while Kenneth dreamed 
of sitting in cold milk-pans, and shivered in 
his sleep. 

Biddy dreamed that her best bonnet had 
been blown into the lake, with a kitten tied 
to each string, and woke Mrs. Wood with a 
whoop. Everybody was glad when morning 
came. And after breakfast Franklin made a 
strange discovery. 

Two boatmen who knew the boys, stopped 
to say that they were passing just as the storm 
broke, and seeing the “ Worry'' being thrown 
against the dock, knew that she would be 
dashed to pieces before the storm was over. 
So they very courageously ran down and cut 
her loose, before seeking shelter for them- 
selves. But as she was washed out into the 
lake, they were much astonished to see a cat 
creep out of the locker and run around the 
boat in great distress. 

Weejums, by gracious ! " said Franklin. 

Say, Fred, did you hear that?" 

“ I yelled out, ^ You 'd better go below ! ' " 

131 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


said the boatman; ‘‘and Joe, he put up his 
hands like this, and called, ‘ Reef that tail or 
you 'll capsize ! ' But we had to run for our 
lives then, and I could n’t see what the cat 
did next.” 

“ I bet you she ’s safe,” said “ Joe,” as 
Eunice hid her face on Franklin’s arm. “You 
won’t catch any feline getting her paws wet, 
when she ’s got a dry locker to crawl into ! ” 

“ The first thing is to find the boat,” said 
Franklin, patting Eunice’s curls. “That’s 
a brave girl. Sis, not to cry.” 

“ P’r’aps she’s wrecked,” said Fred Lane, 
who could think about such trifles as boats, 
because he had never known Weejums. 

“No, she ain’t!” said Franklin, fiercely. 
“ See here. Sis, we ’ll borrow a horse and ride 
along the shore to see if she’s beached 
anywhere.” 

“ And we ’ll tell all the steamboat captains 
to look out for her,” added Joe. 

“And me an’ Joe’ll do a little cruising 
around, ourselves,” said the other boatman. 

132 


AT THE LAKE 


‘‘Say, you ’re mighty good,” said Franklin, 
offering them his hand. 

“We’ll never forget what you did for her,” 
said Fred, meaning the boat. 

“ You will find her, won’t you ? ” said 
Eunice, meaning the cat. 

“And now for our noble steed,” said 
Franklin. “We ’ll be lucky if it is n’t a goat.” 

They hunted for some time, but at last 
succeeded in borrowing an ancient mule, 
which they both mounted, and set forth on 
their quest. 

“ Have you seen a stray boat with a cat in 
it?” they asked, in agonized tones, of every 
one whom they met, and could not under- 
stand why so many people laughed at the 
question. 

“ Was there an owl aboard too ? ” somebody 
asked, “and was the boat pea-green? ” 

But no one had seen or heard anything of 
the “ Worry,” and it was not until that night, 
when the “ Belle of Minnetaska ” was due 
with her load of passengers, that Joe, the 

133 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


boatman, rushed up to the cottage in breathless 
haste. 

Skinner’s steam launch ‘ Mehitable ’ just 
put in next dock. Spoke ‘ Belle of Minne- 
taska.’ Says picked up boat with cat in it. 
Boat in tow. Cat in ladies’ cabin.” 

Even as he spoke, the nose of the great 
steamer rounded the point, and through the 
opera-glasses they could distinctly see a small, 
dark speck dancing along in her wake. 

‘‘To the wharf, — to the wharf! ” shouted 
Franklin. And Mrs. Wood and Eunice 
and Kenneth and Biddy all tore down the 
road to the big hotel dock, just as the “ Belle 
of Minnetaska,” with band playing, and flags 
streaming, came in. 

Eunice wished to go aboard at once, but 
had to wait until the passengers were off ; 
and just as she was beginning to feel that she 
could not stand it another minute, down the 
gangplank came the Captain himself, with 
Weejums in his arms. 

“Where’s the little girl that’s lost her 

134 


AT THE LAKE 


cat ? ” he asked. And all the passengers and 
deck hands crowded around to see Weejums 
restored to her family. Then Three cheers 
for the little girl ! some one called, and the 
cheers were given with deafening enthusiasm. 

“ Three cheers for the Captain of the ‘ Belle 
of Minnetaska ! * And the Captain had to 
bow, and take off his hat to every one. 

“Three cheers for the cat!” And these 
were the loudest cheers of all, — so loud, 
indeed, that Weejums’ tail swelled out of all 
proportion. But nobody saw it, for, before 
the last cheer was over, Eunice was running 
swiftly towards home, with the dear lost pussy 
clasped tight to her little heart. 

“ The water took the color out of her 
ribbon,” she announced at supper that night; 
“ but she ’s goin’ to have a new one.” 


135 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


CHAPTER TEN 

ON THE FARM 

EEJUMS had not only one 
new ribbon, but many ; for the 
story of her rescue came out in 
the papers, and a number of 
people sent her presents. Gifts 
arrived also from several of the passengers on 
the Belle of Minnetaska ” who had made her 
acquaintance in the ladies’ cabin. 

There were blue ribbons and pink ribbons 
and Nile-green ribbons, and one whole bolt 
of yellow-and-white striped ribbon with little 
red flowers in the stripes. It sounds dreadful, 
but was really most artistic ; and Weejums 
had on a large bow of it the day when she 
met the polecat. No one saw the encounter; 
but when she came home, the striped ribbon 
had to be pulled off over her head with a pair 
136 



ON THE FARM 


of tongs, while even her own kittens fled at 
her approach. 

What on earth shall we do with her ? 



Mrs. Wood said in despair. “ She can’t come 
into the house for a month, — for a year ! ” 

“ What would you do, if it was me ? ” asked 
Eunice, reproachfully. 

137 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


“ If it was you ? I *d take you out Into the 
grove, and undress you, and bury your clothes, 
and wash you in twenty waters with carbolic 
soap and lavender water, and tie you up in a 
laundry-bag for a week.*' 

Well, I can do some of that to Weejums,** 
Eunice replied. I *11 go bury her, right 
away.** 

My dear child, don't you know that it 
would kill the poor cat ? ** 

“ I *m not a baby ! ** said Eunice, with 
dignity. And Mrs. Wood went out to see 
what she was planning to do. 

First she dug a Weejums-shaped hole In a 
sunny spot with the coal-shovel ; then pounced 
upon the unhappy cat, gathering her up in 
an old flour sack. Weejums was rather 
pleased than otherwise by the attention, as 
of late her most friendly advances had been 
repulsed. But when Eunice laid her in the 
hole, and covered her very carefully with 
earth, — all but the head, — her look of rage 
was something comical. It was not that she 

138 


ON THE FARM 


was uncomfortable, but seemed to feel the 
implied insult, and growled like a little earth- 
quake all the time. Her only comfort was 
that Tornnose was not there to witness it. 

Eunice poured a little earth over her head 
and forehead without getting it in her eyes, and 
when she was finally dug out, no one would 
suspect that she had ever heard of a skunk. 
But Mustard and Elijah distrusted her for 
some time. 

Grandmother had taken a great fancy to 
Mustard when she came out on a visit, because 
he spit at her bare feet the first time that he 
met them. This was in the middle of the 
night, when she went down to the kitchen after 
a drink of water, and Mustard took her feet 
for white, clipped poodle-dogs, and fought 
them until they carried Grandmother out of 
the room before she intended to go. 

I like that cat,” she told Eunice the next 
morning. ‘‘ You must give him to me, with- 
out fail. Bring him up when you and Kenneth 
come to the farm next month.” 


139 


THE ALLEY CAT^S KITTEN 


“ I was going to bring Weejums,” Eunice 
said. Just for a change of air.” 

Well, bring them both then. Any change 
in Weejums would be desirable.” 

This was because Weejums had refused to 
roll in the catnip Grandmother brought her, 
and had sneered at Clyde and Ivanhoe when 
they rolled^ 

“ I hope she dl like the new house,” Eunice 
said. 

The family was to move uptown that fall, 
and Eunice and Kenneth were to go with 
Grandmother to the farm until things were a 
little settled. When the day came, they took 
luncheon with the Bateses, while Weejums 
chased Mary’s cats out of their own kitchen, 
and ate their chicken bones. Then she cuffed 
Mustard for not being Elijah, whom she greatly 
preferred, and Mustard lamented all the way 
down to the station. People in the street-cars 
tried to imitate his voice, but failed. 

Now stay here while I see about the trunk,” 
said Grandmother, as they reached the waiting- 
140 


ON THE FARM 


room. And the children stood admiring the 
bunch of bananas that hung over the news- 
stand, and the oranges piled in an open-work 
wire dish. 

“Wouldn’t it be fun to buy the whole 
bunch ? ” whispered Eunice. 

“ I bet you it costs as much as a dollar,” 
said Kenneth. 

“ I ’d like to go up and say, M^st give me 
a dollar’s worth of bananas.’ ” 

“ Well, I would n’t, I ’d say, ‘ How much 
for the bunch ? ’ and he ’d say, ‘ A dollar,’ and 
I ’d say, ‘ I dl take ’em.’ 

Just then there came a terrible outcry from 
the cat-basket; Weejums burst open the cover 
and, with one parting spit at Mustard, shot 
through the station door. Eunice dashed after 
her, and Kenneth made a grab at Mustard, 
who dived under one of the seats and began 
dabbing at the swinging legs of a child. 
The infant did not understand that this was 
only play and roared with fright; its mother 
scolded, and just at this moment Grandmother 
141 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


appeared. Where ’s Eunice ? ” she asked, 
looking around. 

Weejums ! ” said Kenneth, pointing to the 
door. 

What ’s all this commotion about ? ” 

‘‘ Mustard ! ” answered Kenneth, briefly. 

‘‘You stay here till I come back. And 
take that kitten, or the woman dl throw him 
at us.” 

The baby's mother had dragged Mustard 
out from under the seat through a cloud of 
peanut-shells, and was holding him at arm's 
length by the back of the neck. His eyes 
were closed, his tail curled meekly upward, and 
his mouth was drawn back in a forced smile. 
Kenneth stuffed him hastily into the basket, 
just as Grandmother returned, leading Eunice 
by the hand. 

“ No, we can't wait over another train, and 
there 's no time to look anywhere else. I 'll 
telegraph Mrs. Teechout to let us know when 
Weejums comes home, and Mother will go 
down and get her.” 


142 


ON THE FARM 


But she won’t know the w-a-y,” said 
Eunice, her voice vanishing upward in a squeak 
of misery. ‘‘ She was lost before, and could n’t 
find the way h-o-me.” 

“ That was because she was young, and 
did n’t know the city. She ’ll get back this 
time, don’t you be afraid. Now wait here 
while r send the telegram.” 

When they were in the train. Grandmother 
told Eunice all the stories that she could re- 
member, about cats who had been lost or other- 
wise disposed of, and who reached home long 
before the people that disposed of them. And 
Eunice was so tired that she presently fell asleep 
on Grandmother’s shoulder, and dreamed that 
some one was saying, in a far-off voice, “Plague 
take the cat, anyhow, it’s more bother than 
it ’s worth ! ” 

Then she heard the regular click, click of 
hoofs, like music through her sleep, and opened 
her eyes on a sweep of golden prairie dipping 
to meet the sky. 

“ Most ready for supper ? ” asked Cousin 

143 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


David, laughing, as she struggled to sit up in 
his lap. 

“ Oh, David, let me drive ! ” she said, “ I 
did n’t know I was here.” 

Cotisin David lived with Grandmother at 
the farm, and had driven in, twenty miles, to 
meet them. 

“What’s the matter with Chucklehead’s 
tail?” asked Grandmother, severely. “It 
never looked like that before ! ” 

“Just a little baldness. Auntie. You know 
that tail ’s seen a heap of service, and he ’s 
an old horse.” 

“ Stuff and nonsense ! ” said Grandmother. 
But Kenneth thought that there were tears in 
her eyes. 

“ Can’t we ride Ole after supper to-night ? ” 
he asked. 

“Yes, if Jansen’s willing, and you’re not 
too tired.” 

Ole was the herder’s pony, and the chil- 
dren were allowed to ride him evenings, after 
the cattle had be^n brought home, 

144 


ON THE FARM 


When they reached the farm, the cattle had 
just gone into the corral, and Jansen, the 
herder, was holding a nervous young cow by 
the nose, while somebody tried to milk her. 

“Why, that ’s my Ellen ! said Grandmother, 
letting down the bars. “ Poor Ellen ! let go of 
her, Jansen, and see if she knows me.'' She 
went fearlessly in through the crowd of horns, 
and made her way to where Ellen stood, splut- 
tering in the herder's grasp. Every eye of 
every cow was fixed on her as she soothed and 
petted the excited creature, until Ellen's glance 
became genial, and she rested her head on 
Grandmother's shoulder. 

“ Ellen's kind of a pet with her," David ex- 
plained to the children. “ Aunt Eunice raised 
her from a calf, and once last summer, when 
Ellen was sick, and had to be tied in the barn. 
Auntie used to go out and read to her." 

“ Stories? " asked both children eagerly. 

“ Oh, anything ! Ellen was n’t particular. 
One day I remember 'twas a cook-book." 

“ What's he been telling you ? ” said Grand- 

145 


10 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


mother, laughing, as they went back to the 
house. 

Senator Hicks was waiting for them on the 
porch, and delighted Eunice by coming to 
meet her. He was a large, soft pussy with a 
comfortable stomach, and limp white paws that 
dangled adorably over one’s arm. And he 
would purr, even when his mouth was pressed 
against one’s ear, — a moist, windy purr, most 
tickling and sweet. 

The other farm cat was named Andrew 
Banks, Jr., and no one had ever heard him 
purr. He lived in the barn, and caught im- 
mense rats, with his double toes like mittens. 
But Eunice loved him in spite of his wild ways, 
and felt sure that his purr, if one could only 
hear it, would be fully equal to the Senator’s. 

After supper Jansen saddled Ole, and the 
children took turns riding him. Ole made no 
objections, although he had been out all day, 
but switched his white tail in a thoughtful 
manner, when Eunice started out, for the third 
time, down the road. 


146 


ON THE FARM 


“ I don’t need to hurry,” she decided, as 
she saw Kenneth and Grandmother go back to 
the house. So she cantered on still farther, 
her little petticoats bouncing up nearly to her 
ears with each rise of the horse. 

It was splendid riding out into the sunset, 
with no other person or thing in sight, and 
feeling that she might gallop on forever and 
ever to countries beyond the clouds. 

There ’s a red horse in the sky, with a 
mane like Ole’s,” she thought. And, indeed 
Ole’s mane was quite crimson in the glow. 

I suppose he has a red tail too, if I could just 
turn round and see it.” 

Back in the farmhouse Grandmother had 
begun to watch the road, and when the red 
light faded, she became uneasy. 

Perhaps she ’s slipped in some back way, 
without my seeing her,” she thought, and went 
out to ask the men. 

But at the door she met David, looking 
much disturbed, “ Say, Auntie, I hate to tell 
you,” he said; “but the pony’s come home, 

147 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


— without any saddle, and we ’re just hitching 
up to go down and see what ’s happened.” 

Grandmother started off down the road on a 
run, with Kenneth puffing frantically in her rear. 

Won’t you wait for the buggy?” called 
David through his hands. 

“ No ! ” she answered. And Kenneth 
thought he had never heard her voice sound 
like that before. 

“ Oh, my baby. Grandma’s baby ! ” she 
said once, under her breath, and tears began 
to mingle with yellow dust on the face of the 
small toiler behind. 

“ Kenny, had n’t you better go home, dear ? ” 
she asked at last, turning to the little compan- 
ion, whose spirit was willing, although his legs 
were short. 

“ No ! ” he replied, in a voice that was an 
echo of Grandmother’s own. “ She may be 
your granddaughter, but,” here he sniffed, and 
rubbed more dirt into his eyes, “ she ’s my 
sister, and don’t you forget it ! ” 

“ Come ! ” said Grandmother, holding out 
148 


ON THE FARM 


her hand. I dl help you find your sister. 
Is n’t that a wagon coming down the road ? 
Perhaps the driver will have seen her.” 

“ That is n’t a wagon,” said Kenneth, after 
looking at it a minute in silence. 

“ Yes, it is, boy, — a two-horse wagon. 
Don’t you see how big it is ? ” 

Kenneth looked again, and broke into a 
joyous shout. “It’s Eunice!” he said, and 
darted off up the road. 

“ It can’t be 1 ” said Grandmother. “ No, it 
isn’t — yes — no! Haven’t I lived in this 
atmosphere long enough not to be fooled by 
it again ? ” 

For it was Eunice, and the reason that 
Grandmother had taken her for a two-horse 
wagon was, that she was carrying the saddle, — 
big, heavy thing though it was, — and the 
strange effect of the western air had made her 
into a sort of mirage. As they approached, 
she suddenly dropped to her natural size, and 
hurried to meet them, with one long stirrup 
trailing in the dust. 


149 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


I 'm so sorry, Grandmother,” she said ; 
‘‘ but I turned around to look at his tail, and 
the belt burst.” 

The girth, you mean. Then Ole did n’t 
throw you ? ” 

“ No, he just swelled and broke the belt, and 
then the saddle came off.” 

‘‘ And you were n’t hurt ? ” 

“ Oh, no ! ” And Eunice laughed. He 
looked so s’prised when he saw me sitting in 
the road, — just as if he did n’t know where 
I came from. I tried to catch him, but he 
wouldn’t catch. And then he seesawed with 
all his legs, and started for home.” 

‘^You can leave the saddle beside the road, 
now,” said Grandmother. “ David will come 
after it.” 

After they reached home, she said to David : 
“ I ’m really glad that she was n’t thrown. I 
never knew a Wood to be thrown ! ” 

In the excitement of her ride, Eunice had 
almost forgotten Weejums, but was reminded 
of her by Mustard, who suffered from shyness 

150 


ON THE FARM 


under the cold stare of Senator Hicks, and 
filled all the night with his corn-colored howls. 

You dl have to take him to bed with you,” 
said Grandmother. So Eunice and Mustard 
went to sleep in each other’s arms, and shared 
a common grief. 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


CHAPTER ELEVEN 

THE SON OF SILVER BELL 

T seemed only a little later when 
Mustard wakened Eunice by a 
sudden jump, and she saw three 
bars of light moving across her 
wall. The light came from the 
yard, and the person who carried it must have 
been going toward the barn. 

“Well, I suppose it’s morning,” she thought. 
“ They always milk early.” But when she 
looked out, the stars were still shining, and 
there was not a sound to be heard. 

“ I think I ’ll go and see where that lan- 
tern went to,” she thought, and slipping on 
one of her own shoes, and one of Kenneth’s, 
which were all that she could find in the dark, 
she crept softly out through the hall to the 
back door. To her surprise, it was unlocked, 

152 



THE SON OF SILVER BELL 


and she picked her way carefully over the 
lettuce beds, holding up her long night-dress 
in one hand. 

“ It 's quite warm out,” she observed, from 
the top of a large red cabbage, which could not 
have told itself from a green cabbage at this 
time of night. 

Something black sprang past her as she 
opened the gate, and leaped to the top of a 
shed, with a great scratching of claws ; then she 
saw two little moons of lire watching her 
through the darkness. 

‘‘ I suppose Andrew Banks, Jr., is hoping 
I *11 take him for a wildcat,** she thought, “ but 
I shan*t.** 

Suddenly she tripped and fell headlong over 
a wagon-tongue, scraping one little knee quite 
badly. But Eunice had always made it a point 
not to cry over anything unless it bled, and as 
it was too dark to see whether this bled or 
not, of course she could not cry. She went 
on, and into the cattle-barn, guided by the 
faint light of the moon, which showed her 

153 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


the long rows of patient forms, lying in 
their stalls and chewing the cuds that prob- 
ably served them as dreams. Some of them 
knelt, and then struggled to their feet as 
Eunice approached, tossing their heads in 
fright. 

She went to the stall of Wild-Eyes, the bull, 
who shook his chains, and pointed his horns at 
her until she spoke to him, when he thrust 
out his head, with a long sigh of fragrant breath, 
to be petted. Grandmother was the only 
other person who dared to caress Wild-Eyes, 
for he had not a cordial disposition, and dread- 
ful stories were told of his behavior in the 
past. 

Eunice pushed open the door that led to 
the horses’ stalls, and there, in the great open 
space of the barn, sat Grandmother on a pile 
of straw, with the lantern beside her, and the 
head of a sick horse on her lap. 

“ Good gracious ! ” she said, with a jump, as 
Eunice appeared. ‘‘ What are you doing 
out here ? ” 


154 


THE SON OF SILVER BELL 


“ I saw the light. Oh, Grandmother, is 
Chucklehead sick ? 

‘‘ Colic,” said Grandmother, briefly. 

‘‘ Has he got a hot-water bag ? ” 

‘^No — one bag wouldn't go far, when he 
has several square yards of pain.” 

‘^Are you giving him peppermint out of 
that bottle ^ ” 

Ginger-tea. Just as good.” 

‘‘ Is he getting old. Grandmother ? David 
said so.” 

‘‘Not a bit too old to enjoy company, and 
relish his meals. And that 's all that a horse 
that's worked as well as he has, ought to have 
asked of him.” 

“ How did you know he was sick ? ” 

“ I woke up feeling that something was 
wrong at the barn. That's happened before.” 

“ And do you always find there is ? ” 

“ No, sometimes it 's what I ate for supper. 
Come, we 'll go back to the house now. He 's 
feeling better.” 

She made a pillow for the horse's head in 

155 


THE ALLEY CAT^S KITTEN 


the straw, covered him with an extra blanket, 
and took up her lantern. 

“ How did you find your way out here in 
the dark ? ’’ she asked, as they reached the 
garden. 

“ I don’t know,” Eunice answered. “ I ’m 
not afraid of the dark.” 

I never knew a Wood to be afraid of the 
dark,” said Grandmother, smiling. 

They found Cousin David sitting in the 
kitchen with Kenneth on his lap. 

Well, here you are at last ! ” he said. “ Ken- 
ney ’s been scared to death about you. Poor 
little chap, he ’s been crying ! ” 

“ Ain’t neither,” said Kenneth, kicking his leg. 

‘^Well, let’s have some bread and butter,” 
said Grandmother, hanging up the lantern. 

David, you get some milk from the pantry, 
and don’t disturb the cream pans.” 

“ Grandma,” said Eunice, as they sat eating 
in the candlelight, ‘‘What makes you love 
Chucklehead more than the other horses ^ 
He ’s the homeliest.” 

156 


THE SON OF SILVER BELL 


“Oh, that ’s a long story,’* said Grandmother, 
yawning. “ I ’m going to bed.” 

“ Can’t David tell it ? ” asked Kenneth. 

“ This is no time of night for stories,” said 
David, taking a drink of milk. “ ’Specially 
Injun stories.” 

“Oh, is it an Indian story?” asked both 
children in delight. 

“ Had n’t you better wait till morning ? ” 
said Grandmother, going to the door. “ The 
trouble with you children is, that you slept all 
the afternoon.” 

“ Let us sit up fifteen minutes more, please. 
Grandma ! ” said Eunice, and Grandmother 
was too sleepy to refuse. 

“ Well,” began David, in a loud voice, “ one 
reason Aunt Eunice likes Chucklehead, is that 
he ’s the good-for-nothingest horse on the 
farm.” 

“That’s not so!” called Grandmother 
from the other side of the door, and David 
laughed. 

“ No,” he continued, as her footsteps died 

157 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


away, the real reason she likes Chucklehead, 
is that he 's the son of Silver Bell, the finest 
horse ever raised in this State/' 

Was she pretty ? ” Eunice asked. 

“ Pretty ? She was a regular Christmas 
card ! and as full of airs as any mistress of the 
White House. Why, her feet were so little 
you 'd scarcely know she had 'em, and her 
mane was all crinkly and wavy like a lady's 
hair." 

What color was she ? " asked Kenneth. 

“ Brown, with a bell-shaped mark of white 
on her forehead. And spirited ? Why, she 'd 
sling Swedes all over the prairie, even when 
she was an old horse. She did n't take after 
her son." 

“Tell the story about her," said Eunice. 

“ Well, she belonged to a young woman who 
came out here with her husband in Injun times, 
and, as they had n't many horses, this Silver 
Bell was a great pet. She 'd come when you 
called her, and kind of snuff round. She was 
company for the young woman, too, when her 

158 


THE SON OF SILVER BELL 


husband was off with the cattle, and there was 
nobody but her and the baby in the house.” 

‘‘ Go on,” said Kenneth. “ Did the Indians 
come ? ” 

Well, I just guess they did ! One day 
she heard a shot, and saw smoke coming from 
a ranch four miles away. You know how 
sound carries in this air, and the smoke looked 
big, just as Eunice did the other night. So 
she just grabbed her baby, and put a bridle on 
Silver Bell, who came right up to the corral. 
If Silver Bell hadn’t come when she was called 
that day — ” 

Well ? ” asked both children, breathlessly. 
‘‘Well — we mightn’t have been telling 
this story here to-night.” 

“ Oh, go on ! ” said Kenneth, impatiently. 
“ Did the Injuns catch her ? ” 

“ No, but they would have, if it had n’t been 
for Silver Bell. Once, when they were down 
in a hollow, the girl saw about a dozen 
Injuns riding towards her as hard as they could 
go, and she knew if she came out of that hollow 

159 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


they ’d see her for sure. But if she stayed in 
the hollow, of course they ’d find her when they 
got there. So for a moment she could n’t de- 
cide just what to do.” 

“ Should n’t think there was anything,” said 
Kenneth. 

Well, that ’s just where you ’re wrong. 
There was Silver Bell. You see she ’d trained 
Silver Bell to do a lot of little tricks, and one of 
them was to pretend to be a dead horse ; and 
as there was a real, dead horse a little way down 
the trail, it gave her an idea. So she made 
Silver Bell lie down across a little ditch at the 
bottom of the hollow, and crept in under her, 
so that she could n’t be seen. Then she told 
her to ‘ be a dead horse,’ and Silver Bell never 
moved a hair, even when the Injuns almost 
jumped over her in crossing the ditch.” 

, “Then didn’t anybody get scalped?” asked 
Kenneth, disappointed. 

“ Yes, lots of people ; for this was the be- 
ginning of the great massacre at New Ulm. 
But the young woman got away safe and 
l6o 


THE SON OF SILVER BELL 


sound, and all because of a horse. She often 
said afterwards that if the baby had cried, or 
Silver Bell had wiggled so much as an ear, 
why — the Injuns might have guessed she 
was n*t any dead horse.’* 

But how does Chucklehead come into the 
story ? ” 

“ Chucklehead was Silver Bell’s last colt, 
and when everybody else laughed at him for 
being such a funny shape, and wanted him 
killed. Aunt Eunice kissed his mother on the 
forehead, and said, ‘You saved my baby once, 
and I ’ll save yours ! ’ ” 

“ But it was the other woman’s baby that 
Silver Bell had saved,” said Eunice, puzzled. 

“No, it wasn’t, kid. The young woman 
that the story is about was Grandmother, when 
she first came out here. And the little baby 
that she carried in her arms that day was — ” 
David stopped a minute, and his voice grew 
softer, as he said, “was your own father, children. 
Now come to bed, for the fifteen minutes is more 
than up, and I want a nap before milking-time.” 
i6i 


II 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


He tossed Kenneth on his back, took 
Eunice in his arms, and tucked them both in 
their beds, with the caution not to think any- 
more about ‘‘Injuns” that night. 

Kenneth soon dropped asleep ; but Eunice 
lay awake for some time, wondering how it 
would have seemed to be alive in Indian times, 
when red danger might come riding to meet 
one from over the peaceful prairie. And as 
she fell asleep, she seemed once more to hear 
David say, “ And the little baby that she 
carried in her arms that day was — your own 
father.” 

When she wakened, a sunbeam was creeping 
across her quilt, and she heard the shouts of 
the men at their work. She hurried into her 
clothes, and went out to breakfast with the 
back of her frock unfastened, as Kenneth, who 
usually helped her, was up and away. But 
Grandmother proved that she could pour 
coffee, button Eunice’s dress, and give orders 
to the men at one and the same time. 

There was a rattle of harness in the yard, 
162 


THE SON OF SILVER BELL 


and David put his head in at the door, saying : 
“ There ’s a fellow just come out from town 
with a telegram.” 

“ Tell him to unhitch and come in,” said 
Grandmother. “ Yes, dear, Kenny ’s off with 
Peterson and the Norman colt. Will you have 
sugar on your mush ? ” 

David came in, followed by the messenger, 
who said, ‘‘Yes, I guessed it might be impor- 
tant, and hustled for all I was worth. I Ve 
been on the road since four.” 

He handed Grandmother the telegram, and 
she poured out his coffee before opening it. 

“ Anything serious. Aunt Eunice ? ” David 
asked. 

“ Not serious, but most important,” Grand- 
mother said, and, turning to Eunice, she read : 

Weejums has arrived. Will take her up to Mrs. 
Wood to-morrow. 


M. Teechout. 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


CHAPTER TWELVE 

, THE CAT WITH MITTENS 

LYTIE was a cat who might 
certainly be called young for her 
age. She had frisked through 
a thoughtless kitten-hood with 
Ivanhoe, and now spent many 
hours in playing with Neddy, the white rat, for 
whom she had conceived an early passion. 
Neddy’s real name was Editor, because he sat 
up nights ; and he differed from other rats in 
having a sense of humor. * Clyde did not know 
this however; she only thought it must be fine 
to have pink eyes, and a tail that never swelled, 
no matter how embarrassed one might be. 

Seated on the top of Neddy’s house, she 
would draw her claws across the wire netting, 
and Neddy would shoot out of his inner oat- 
meal box, as if cheese itself had called. Up 
164 


CLYTIE, 



THE CAT WITH MITTENS 


and down he would chase the wandering paw, 
until it vanished above his head, and then 
there would be the large excitement of waiting 
for it to come again. There was a knot-hole 
in the top of the box, and one day Clyde’s tail 
slipped down through it. Shortly afterwards 
the family was summoned by howls of terror, 
to find Neddy swinging merrily back and forth 
on his furry chandelier, evidently not connect- 
ing it at all in his mind with the owner of the 
paw. 

Clyde gave up playing with Neddy after 
this, and devoted herself to the general good. 
Every night Mrs. Wood made a tour of all 
the bedrooms with a folded newspaper, kill- 
ing mosquitoes and flies, and after watching 
her several times Clyde suddenly decided what 
double toes were meant for. Bang ! would go 
the newspaper on the wall, and, thud ! would 
go the mittened paws beneath it. One fly for 
the newspaper, and yes — two for the mittened 
paws ! Clyde did not stop to eat the flies, but 
swept them into a little heap to serve as a 
165 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


quick lunch later on. Ceiling flies had to be 
brushed olF, of course, but even the most high- 
roosting flies adorned the heap before the swift 
paws ceased their work. Clyde had at last 
become a useful member of the family, and 
Franklin said that it was because her experi- 
ence with Neddy had aged her. 

When Eunice and Kenneth came back from 
the farm, they found Weejums and Clyde in full 
possession of the house, — Weejums with a 
new family of two, and Clyde with a new air of 
dignity and cathood. She was a very hand- 
some pussy, yellow and white, with lovely 
brown eyes and a great deal of fur in her tail. 
Several people had wanted to buy her ; but 
Eunice always answered : “ No, she is Weejums’ 
eldest child, and not for sale.” 

About a month after Weejums’ kittens came, 
Clyde had some of her own in the barn, and 
came in to tell the family about it. Eunice 
met her first, and knew that the proud quiver 
of her tail could mean but one thing. 

“ Biddy,” she said, ‘‘ I know they ’re there ! ” 

i66 


THE CAT WITH MITTENS 


“Well, whin it sthops rainin’ we’ll go out 
and see,” Biddy replied. 

Eunice hovered about the house in a great 
state of excitement, making guesses as to the 
number of kittens, and what color they might 
be. Only two would be kept, she knew; but 
suppose that there should be one tortoise-shell, 
and one maltese, and one pure white ! — which 
would she be able to spare ? 

“ Weejums, you ’re a grandmother ! You ’re 
a grandmother ! Weejums^ — do you under- 
stand ? ” she whispered. And Weejums looked 
up with what Eunice called “ fumes ” over her 
eyes, and smiled. 

“I want to go, too ! ” Kenneth said, as Eunice 
and Biddy started for the barn. 

“ Me too,” Mrs. Wood added. So every- 
body joined the procession, and Clyde led them 
proudly across the yard to the barn, up the 
steps to the barn chamber, and over some old 
mattresses to an empty nest ! There was the 
little bed that Clyde had made for her babies, 
but not one kitten was to be seen. 

167 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


“ Perhaps they Ve crawled under the mat- 
tress,” said Franklin, lifting it up ; but there 
was no sign of a kitten anywhere in the room, 
and Clyde’s surprise was at first greater than 
her sorrow. Then, ‘‘Ow !” she remarked in a 
melancholy voice, and “ Wow ! ” came in echoing 
tones from her mother on the stairs. “ Yow ! ” 
said Clyde again, and Row !” answered Wee- 
jums, sympathetically. “ Come, let ’s hunt for 
them ! Pur-r? JVur-r? ” So all day long, and 
all of the next day, the two cats hunted for 
the missing kittens, calling them high and low. 
But neither they nor any one else ever dis- 
covered what had become of them. Some 
members of the family thought it was rats, — 
others that a certain morose neighbor who 
rented a part of the barn for his horse, objected 
to having so many cats on the premises. In 
any case, Weejums* grandchildren never turned 
up, and after a two-days’ search Clyde decided 
that she must have been mistaken about them, 
and that Weejums’ kittens were hers. So she 
walked in and took possession, and Weejums, 

i68 


THE CAT WITH MITTENS 


who had always disliked the confinement of 
nursing, was very thankful to be rid of them. 
She resumed her social evenings with the 
family, attended midnight concerts, and chased 
boot-buttons around the kitchen floor. 

Meanwhile, poor Clyde became pale and 
wan with anxiety, from trying to make month- 
old kittens behave as if they were new. Of 
course they liked to climb out of the box, but, 
as fast as they reached the floor, she would 
jump after them, and bring them back. She 
also carried them all over the house, and they 
became quite lazy from being carried, so long 
after their own little legs should have done 
the work. Their names were Paul Jones and 
Proserpine, — Paul Jones, black, with white 
nose, shirt, and slippers ; and Proserpine, pure 
white, except for two inky ears and one black 
tail, most charming to behold. Proserpine's 
ears and tail did not show at all after dark, so 
it looked as if she had none. 

Both kittens grew up, thinking that Wee- 
jums was their grandmother, and once, when 
169 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


Torn-nose inquired whose they were, she re- 
plied that they belonged to a yellow-and-white 
cat living in the same house. 

‘^To be sure/’ Torn-nose said, “ I might 
have known that you could not have kittens 
of so advanced an age.” 

But this was only his way, for he knew per- 
fectly well that Clyde was Weejums’ daughter, 
and even paid her compliments when her 
mother was not looking. 

The only times that Weejums showed any 
interest in her children, was when a dog entered 
the yard. Then both cats would fly at him, 
and send him off, ki-yi-ing down the street. 
They discovered so many new ways of scratch- 
ing a dog, that it became a kind of fancy-work 
with them, and all the friends that Cyclone 
invited to dinner, sent polite but firm regrets. 

One day two strange-looking animals trotted 
down the road, from some distant shanties, and 
began nosing around the back door after food. 
Weejums and Clyde decided that they must 
be dogs, although they were stouter than any 
170 


THE CAT WITH MITTENS 


dogs that they had ever chased, and made 
astonishing remarks, in a language that they 
failed to understand. 

‘‘ Ooof — umph,'' said the spotted one, who 
had brown, red-rimmed eyes, trimmed with 
white eyelashes. 

‘‘Humph — humph!” replied the white 
one, who had but one eye, and no eyelashes at 
all, except along the ridge of his spine. 
“ Wee, wee 1 Murder ! Help 1 Help 1 ” they 
both squealed, as two spitting balls of fur 
shot across the yard, and landed on their 
backs. 

“ Hivin save us 1 ” exclaimed Biddy, rushing 
to the window, as two shrieking pigs, each 
ridden by an angry cat, dashed past, and out 
of the yard. The departure of the pigs 
through a fence on the other side of the street, 
caused the cats to dismount before they had 
planned. But Franklin was so proud of this 
feat, that he went around boasting among his 
friends, that “ his sister had a cat that could 
lick anything on four legs.” So, of course, all 
171 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


the boys were anxious to prove that his sister 
had nothing of the kind. 

‘‘ Bet you it could n’t lick Boston's bull- 
pup," one of them said. 

“ Bet you it could n’t lick my thorough-bred 
mastiff-poodle," said another. 

“Ho!" said Franklin, “Weejums would 
claw up the pedigree of your dog, so that 
you ’d have to cart home the mastiff and the 
poodle part of him, in separate loads." 

It was this remark that caused Boston’s bull- 
pup to go in training for action, as it was well 
known that no cat on whom he was set, ever 
escaped him, and he had a shameful record of 
little paws hushed in the beginning of their 
play, and gentle purrs silenced through mur- 
derous intent. For the bull-pup’s owner was 
a cruel boy, and a boy’s dog always tries to be 
like his master. 

That fall, Eunice had begun dressing all her 
cats in little blankets ; and this naturally sug- 
gested petticoats, and, later on, pantalettes. 
The pantalettes were cut like cross-sections of 
172 


THE CAT WITH MITTENS 


stove-pipe, and were held on the cat's front 
paws by a little suspender going over her 
shoulders. Clyde had a charming pair made 
of white flannel, feather-stitched with light 
blue silk, and the effect of these, peeping 



“THE SASH WAS NOT TOO TIGHT TO ALLOW FOR DINNER" 

from under her Mother Hubbard blanket 
with the guimpey was most unusual. This 
blanket did not fasten with a buttoned belt 
underneath, like her plaid gingham ones, for 
morning, but had two little slits in the side, for 
a sash to come through, and tie in a huge bow 
on top. When fully dressed, she looked like 
between a circus clown and a chrysan- 

173 


a cross 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


themum. But of course she could run about 
perfectly well, and the sash was not too tight 
to allow for dinner. 

Eunice had just finished dressing her one 
day, when a white dog with an ugly lower jaw, 
came into the yard. Clyde saw him from the 
window, and knew from the set of his legs that 
he meant business. This was no ordinary cur, 
to be frightened away by a spit, and a stiff 
whisker; and she was just rejoicing that her 
mother and kittens were safe in the kitchen, 
when, oh, horrible ! around the corner came 
Weejums, alone, making straight for the dog, 
without having stopped to consider his lower 
jaw. 

The dog saw her, and, as a low whistle 
sounded from somewhere, rushed at her in the 
deadly silence that is worse than a hundred 
growls. Franklin also saw her, and rushed 
out of the house with a hot poker, resolved 
that if Weejums' time had come, Boston's 
bull-pup should never live to tell the tale. 
But he would have been too late if the dog 

174 


THE CAT WITH MITTENS 


had not suddenly stopped in his wild charge, 
and stared in horror at a strange, white object 
that came tearing around the house, like the 
enraged ghost of all the cats he had slain, — a 
fearful ghost in panties and petticoats, and 
with no head, — for the wind had tossed 
Clyde’s Mother Hubbard skirt over her ears, 
— and an orange tail, like flame. 

Bodily terror could not have alarmed Boston’s 
bull-pup ; but this was something unearthly, 
and beyond his experience. His lower jaw 
weakened, and, with a yelp of dismay, he turned 
and bolted from the yard. Franklin followed 
with the poker, but the bull-pup was already 
miles away, and for months afterwards he could 
not be induced to chase another cat. Boston 
finally sold him in disgust to some one who 
wanted a tame, gentle dog, and spent the 
money that he received for him in trying to 
keep out of Franklin’s way. 


175 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


CHAPTER THIRTEEN 

TORN-NOSE 

FIE new house was not far from 
the Children’s Hospital, and a 
young doctor who often passed 
that way, became much interested 
in the attire of Eunice’s cats. 

Why does the long, blue one wear tennis 
trousers ? ” he asked one day. 

This was because Ivanhoe’s pantalettes were 
not ruffled like Weejums’, but made of stiff 
white pique, with the trimming laid on plain. 

‘‘ They ’re more suitable,” Eunice replied. 
And she called his attention to Ivanhoe’s 
blanket, which was made from a gentleman’s 
handkerchief, with a green and red border of 
horseshoes and little whips. 

“You get those down at the ‘Teapot’ for 
176 



TORN-NOSE 


six cents, don’t you ? ” said the doctor, nodding 
intelligently. “ The night-watchman has one.” 

‘‘ Yes, they asked me if I wanted a lady’s or 
gentleman’s handkerchief, and of course I said 
a gentleman’s. It saves lots of trouble in the 
hemming, ’cause you only have to cut out the 
neck.” 

I wish you ’d bring some of these fellows 
up to the hospital, and show the children. 
Those clothes would please them nearly to 
death.” 

I ’ll ask,” Eunice said, taking the doctor’s 
hand. You come and ask, too.” 

But Mrs. Wood came out on the porch just 
then, and when the doctor had assured her 
that there were no ‘‘catching” illnesses at the 
hospital, she said that Eunice might go. 

“ I ’ll take Clytie,” Eunice said, “ because 
she ’s the handsomest. And she can wear all 
the clothes.” 

“ All at once ? ” asked the doctor, astonished. 

“ Yes, it keeps her from kicking, and it ’s 
the easiest way to carry them.” 

12 lyy 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


The little crippled children spent a wonder- 
ful hour in seeing Clytie dressed in her various 
costumes, and there was a great deal of conver- 
sation as to which became her most. 

I like her best in the satin ball-blanket, 
with the make-believe roses,” said one. 

“ No, that ain’t no go. She looks a sight 
han’somer in the caliky pants.” 

“ Does her mittens take off too ? ” asked a 
very small voice from a corner, where some- 
body who had been badly burned was trying 
not to cry. 

‘‘ No, those came with her. I ’ll let you 
feel ’em,” Eunice said, and the soft plush of 
a white paw was laid in the little hand, while 
eager fingers solved the puzzling question of a 
cat with mittens. 

“ If you ever want to give her away,” the ma- 
tron said, smiling, as Eunice bade her good-bye, 
I hope you will let us have the first chance.” 

Oh, we shall never give her away !” Eunice 
said. You see she has mittens, and we love 
her next to Weejums.” 

178 


TORN-NOSE 


But this shows just how little one can tell 
about what may happen, for Clytie did go to 
the hospital that very spring. 

Mrs. Wood decided to leave Alleston, and 
live East for the next few years, so that 
Franklin could prepare for college at a certain 
school that she knew of, and all the children 
would receive many advantages from being 
near a great city. 

Don’t say New York,” Grandmother said, 
when the plan was being talked over. “ New 
York children have such thin legs ! ” 

I think we shall settle in one of the 
Oranges, just out of New York,” Mrs. Wood 
said. Alec and Maude will look up a 
cottage for us.” 

Your brother will spoil the boys,” said 
Grandmother, disapprovingly ; “ only,” she 
added, brightening, ‘‘I never knew a Wood 
to be spoiled.” 

Will Cyclone go, too, and the rabbits ? ” 
asked Kenneth, at his mother’s knee. 

^‘No, dear, only Weejums can go with us, 
179 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


for it ’s a long trip, you remember, and there 
are plenty of rabbits around New York.” 

“ But not Dulcie,” said Kenneth, with a 
quivering lip, ‘‘ or — Stamper ! ” 

Perhaps the time when one first discovers 
that pets are only pets, and not real people, as 
one had supposed, is the saddest moment of 
one’s little life, — especially when it often turns 
out that the best-loved animal is not at all 
valuable, and must be left behind. 

Many tears were shed by the younger 
children, and a few in private by Franklin, 
as the rabbits were made over to Beansy,” 
and Cyclone was carried off triumphantly by 
a boy who had long desired him. But Frank- 
lin knew that all this meant a turning point in 
his life, and laid aside the money that he re- 
ceived for his pets to help buy school books, 
and, as he said, instruments,” for Franklin 
was going to be a doctor. 

Eunice and Kenneth recovered their spirits 
at the thought of living within a short distance 
of New York, where there would be matinees, 
i8o 


TORN-NOSE 


concerts, and immense toy-shops where one 
could go in and hear the fur animals squeal, 
without being expected to buy one. All the 
wonderful wind-up toys came from New York; 
it was their home, and the home of Huyler’s 
chocolates, with their many different kinds of 
linings. 

But it was hard to leave Clyde at the 
hospital, even if everybody was delighted to 
see her, and the young doctor did show 
Franklin the operating-room, and ever so 
many things in* bottles. 

Clyde’s last night at home was quite pathetic, 
because she thought, up to the last moment, 
that the family was packing to take her to the 
lake, and had begun to wash Paul Jones and 
Proserpine for the journey. They were quite 
big cats now, but, lacking younger sisters, had 
to be washed as hard as if they were new. 

“ I must say I don’t care for travel,” said 
Clyde to Torn-nose out on the fence ; ‘‘ Mother 
does. But I ’ve always been the old-fashioned 
feline kind of cat that likes a home.” 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


‘^One sees a great deal of life/’ said Torn- 
nose, thoughtfully. 

“Yes, but only the worst side. You have 
told me yourself that those whom you trusted 
often hurled banana skins at you.” 

“ I ’m sorry you ’re going to the lake,” 
said Torn-nose. “ Being round with you and 
Weejums has given me more home comfort 
than I have known since mother died.” 

“You ought to give up being a travelling 
man, and settle down somewhere,” said Clyde. 
“Any one would be proud to own you, and 
it ’s the cat that makes the home.” 

“I never had a home,” said Torn-nose, sadly. 
“ I ’m what is known as a self-made cat.’' 

“ Wow, — yow e-ow^pur-r-ow-ow-ow^' called 
Eunice and Kenneth together from their win- 
dow, and Clyde heard Mrs. Wood say: 

“ Children, children, go to bed immediately ! 
Is n’t it bad enough to have a cat fight under 
the window, without your joining in } ” 

“ Imitation is the sincerest flattery,” called 
Torn-nose from the fence, as Clyde vanished 
182 


TORN-NOSE 


in the darkness ; “ but how strange that they 
should have thought we were quarrelling ! ” 
Splash ! came a mug of water from Biddy’s 



TORN-NOSE 


window straight into Torn-nose’s face, and 
Clyde heard him plunge, with a great crash, 
into a cold-frame in the next yard. 

183 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


‘‘ Faith, I aimed at his yow,” said Biddy the 
next morning, and have rayson to think I 
hit it.” 

Biddy was to take Ivanhoe with her, because 
she feared that no one else would have him, 
and she had a married sister in the country 
who had promised to be a mother to him. 
And Elijah was sent to the farm to comfort 
Mustard, who had not been able to get along 
at all with Senator Hicks. But Paul Jones 
and Proserpine were to remain in the house, 
as the new tenants had expressed a desire to 
keep them, and as these tenants were of the 
kind who know how to arrange a most attrac- 
tive string and paper for one’s tail, the kittens 
never missed Clyde at all. 

Clyde missed them for a time, and then the 
charm of being an only cat began to grow on 
her. The doctors petted her ; the nurses made 
her a fine gingham collar of the stuff like their 
uniforms, to show that she belonged to the 
hospital staff. 

Torn-nose came often to see her, and gave 
184 


TORN-NOSE 


her some valuable hints about keeping mice 
out of the basements ; it seems that there is a 
certain way of catching them that saves time 
and strength, when one has to do it by the 
quantity. 

“Why do you wear that kind of collar?'* 
he asked one night. 

“To show that I *m a hospital cat," Clyde 
said. “ I help care for the sick, like the 
doctors and nurses, only I do different 
things." 

A few nights after this Clyde was sitting up 
alone in the hall with the night-watchman, 
when she heard a mournful cry from outside. 
It sounded like the voice of Torn-nose, but 
there was something so sad about it, that she 
jumped off the watchman's lap, and ran as 
fast as possible to see what was the matter. 

Pur-r-e-oWy Torn-nose, where are you?" 
she called; but there was no answer, and, after 
a long search, she found the poor old warrior 
lying quite helpless on the grass, with a dread- 
ful wound in his side. 

185 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


‘‘ Oh, what has happened ! ” Clyde cried. 
‘‘ What cruel person has done this ? 

Torn-nose tried to speak, but the words 
died away in his throat, and only a faint purr 
reached Clyde’s ears. But Clyde knew what 
happened in the hospital, when people lay very 
still, and did not answer questions — the doctor 
was sent for ; and as she listened, she could hear 
the step of Dr. Haskell, the young man who 
had been Eunice’s friend, on his night round. 

Back she tore to the hospital, and up the 
steps, just as the doctor came down into the 
hall. 

“ Emergency case ” he asked playfully, as 
Clyde rolled at his feet. “ What ’s the matter 
with the cat, Michael ? ” 

“ Looks as if she wanted you to follow her,” 
said Michael, watching her curiously. ‘‘ If it 
was a dog now, 1 ’d say that ’s what was 
wanted.” 

‘‘ Well, let ’s try,” said the doctor ; and as he 
started for the door, Clyde bounded on ahead 
of him, with the most imploring mews. 

1 86 


TORN-NOSE 


Give us the lantern, Michael,” said the 
young man, and he followed Clyde across the 
lawn, to the place where Torn-nose lay. 

Gunshot wound, eh ? ” he said, bending 
over his patient. “ Lend a hand here, 
Michael!” And Torn-nose was carried ten- 
derly into the hall, where his wound was 
dressed as carefully as if he had been a person, 
and he was put to bed in the night-watchman’s 
room. 

The day after this, Clyde had a little red 
cross sewed on one side of her collar, and was 
known ever afterwards as the First Aid Cat.” 
Torn-nose recovered, and when Dr. Haskell 
left the hospital, went with him to be his office 
cat. 

“ How did you happen to get shot ? ” Clyde 
asked him, the day that he was first able to 
sit up and take nourishment. 

“No reason, whatever. I was merely re- 
moving a broiled chicken from a kitchen-table, 
and as I had left another one for the family, 
they had no cause to complain.” 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


‘‘You will never need to steal chickens any 
more after this,” Clyde said. “ Dr. Haskell 
is a kind man, and will always be your friend.” 



This turned out to be true, for the doctor 
grew fond, as well as proud, of his warlike cat ; 
and as Torn-nose gradually improved in con- 

i88 


TORN-NOSE 


versation and manners, he did his owner great 
service in the office by entertaining patients 
while they waited. 

But of course all this happened long after 
the Woods had left town, and Weejums had 
entered upon the most astonishing of her 
experiences. 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


CHAPTER FOURTEEN 

A VISITING LADY 

HE first day on the train Wee- 
jums sat up in Eunice’s lap like 
any other traveller, enjoying the 
view, and spitting at the engines 
that passed. And when the 
sleeping-car conductor came along, she was 
smuggled under the seat in the hopes that he 
might not guess what that innocent-looking 
lunch-basket contained. But he did, because 
while he was examining the tickets, Weejums 
got out of the basket, and sharpened her claws 
on his leg. He jumped a little, and said, 
I am sorry, madam, but that cat will have 
to go into the baggage-car to-night. We never 
allow animals on a sleeper.’' 

“ Then I '11 go, too,” said Eunice, promptly. 

190 



A VISITING LADY 


“We don’t allow little girls in a baggage- 
car,” he said with a smile. 

“ But she ’ll be so afraid,” said Eunice, in 
distress ; “ she hates men — dearly.” 

“ I think she can defend herself,” said the 
conductor, rubbing his leg. And in spite of all 
that Eunice could say, he carried Weejums off 
to the baggage-car, where she was much disap- 
pointed at seeing so many locked trunks, when 
they might so easily have been nice open ones, 
with pink silk shirt-waists in the top tray for 
her to lie on. 

In the morning Eunice had scarcely finished 
dressing when the train conductor came along, 
and before Mrs. Wood could stop her, she had 
seized him by the coat-tails, asking, “ Oh, 
have you seen my kitty ? ” 

Now the train conductor is a very important 
person, and as he has the charge of all the cars, 
and all the passengers that are in them, it was 
not at all likely that he would know anything 
about a little girl’s kitty. But to Mrs. Wood’s 
surprise, he laughed and said, “ Yes, we just 
191 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


Stole some milk for her out of some cans that 
were put on at the last station. Pretty cat, 
is n’t she ? ” 

“ I think that you must have a little girl/’ 
said Mrs. Wood, gratefully. 

“Two, madam,” he answered. “Tickets, 
please.” 

After breakfast Weejums was brought back, 
and spent a happy day with Eunice and another 
little girl, who was allowed, as a great favor, to 
help put on the crimson flannel tailor-blanket, 
stitched with pink, while the other passengers 
offered compliments and sweet crackers. That 
night they had to change cars, and this time 
there was no friendly conductor to steal milk for 
Weejums, but a savage-eyed expressman, who 
charged seventy-five cents, and did not seem 
to love cats. In New York, Mrs. Wood 
was met by her sister-in-law, who had to follow 
her into a crowded baggage-room, filled with 
tumbling trunks and dozens of men, to ask 
for “ A cat, please.” 

“ What will you do next, Amy ? ” said Aunt 
192 


A VISITING LADY 



explained to their mother quite often how they 
ought to be brought up. 

They were to stay a day or two with Mrs. 
Wood’s brother, and then go to a boarding- 
house in Montrose, to wait until their own 
13 193 


Maude, with a comical look. “ I believe that 
Eunice will be utterly spoiled.” 

Aunt Maude had no children of her own, 
but loved the little Woods very dearly, and 


<‘A VISITING lady” 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


cottage was ready, for Mrs. Wood did not be- 
lieve in making long visits, with a family of 
children. 

Weejums was more than glad when they 
left New York, for of course she had not 
gone to any of the theatre and Eden Musee 
parties with Uncle Rob, or been invited to 
have an ice-cream soda. And it was not in- 
teresting, either, to walk in a tiny brick yard 
crowded with clothes-lines, or feel one’s way 
along a fence so narrow that if another cat 
came along, you either had to back away, or 
stay and fight it out. 

But the boarding-house in Montrose attracted 
her because it had so large a yard, and she 
thought it would be pleasant to lie always on 
red velvet chairs, and walk through swinging 
bead portieres that tickled one’s tail. But 
this was before she had met Mrs. Winslow. 

“ 1 don ’t care for tortoise-shell cats, — do 
you ? ” asked one of the old ladies who did 
fancy work on the piazza. 

No, Mrs. Winslow is white,” said another. 

194 


A VISITING LADY 


And a cat that won't purr for strangers, 
either,” added the first old lady, with a re- 
proachful glance at Weejums, who sat “ back- 
to ” on the steps. 



MRS. WINSLOW 


“ Mrs. Winslow will purr for any one,” said 
the other. 

In addition to this, it turned out that one of 
Mrs. Winslow's eyes was green and the other 
blue, while both of Weejums’ were hopelessly 

195 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


alike. It also appeared that Mrs. Winslow 
had nerves, and could not eat her chop-bone 
in the dining-room with Weejums' common- 
place eyes upon her; so Weejums had to be 
banished to the kitchen. But she afterwards 
fought Mrs. Winslow in the pansy bed, and 
when Mrs. Winslow returned to the house, her 
blue eye was closed so tight that no one could 
possibly have guessed it was not green. 

“ They say that 's a bright cat,” said Kenneth, 
scornfully, “ but the other day after she ’d 
eaten a mouse, she went around calling it to 
come back, just as if ’t was a kitten.” 

“ They all sit in a row and admire her, while 
she scratches her ribbon,” said Franklin. 
“ They like to watch the bow go round under 
her chin, and up behind the other ear.” 

“ Then they say, ‘ Oh, is n’t it cunning ! ’ ” 
said Eunice. 

Children, don’t laugh at the people in the 
house. We’ll see lots of beautiful pussies at 
the Cat Show to-morrow, so you can afford to 
stop insulting Mrs. Winslow.” 

196 







A VISITING LADY 


But that very afternoon came another mor- 
tification for Weejums, and a triumph for the 
enemy. 

It happened that Mrs. Wood's room was 
supposed to be heated in winter from the room 
below, and one day when the register was 
taken out to be mended, she had folded a 
shawl across the hole ; because, as the hole 
looked straight down into the room of the 
queerest of the old ladies, it would naturally 
be very hard for Eunice and Kenneth to keep 
from trying to see what the old lady was doing. 

But she had reckoned without Weejums, 
who thought of course that the nice warm 
shawl was placed there for her to lie on, and, 
as Fate would have it, chose a time when the 
old lady was sitting directly under the hole. 

Shrieks of terror from below sent everybody 
rushing to the old lady’s room, and as her 
door opened, Weejums shot out with a swell- 
ing tail, and her enraged victim in pursuit. 

“ Catch her — catch her ! ” screamed the old 
lady, as Weejums bounded through the hall 
197 


THE ALLEY CAT^S KITTEN 


into the dining-room, and between the feet of 
a frightened servant, into the kitchen. 

Scat, now — scat ! ” said the cook, cuffing 
her off a basket of clean linen into which she 
had jumped, — without even giving her time to 
explain that she had stopped there merely to 
get her breath. 

It was against rules for the boarders to come 
into the kitchen, so Weejums heard the voice 
of the old lady grow fainter and die away ; but 
she was still angry with the cook for cuffing 
her, and, spying Mrs. Winslow behind the 
stove, slapped, her soundly on the closed eye. 
This was too much for Hannah, who loved 
Mrs. Winslow, and a little dipper of water 
from the dishpan descended on Weejums* nose. 
She stopped to hurl an insult at boarding- 
houses in general, and bolted for the pantry 
door. 

“Come out of there!** called Hannah, 
angrily, and in her haste to reach the window, 
Weejums skipped wildly through a pan of cran- 
berry sauce, terrifying the old rooster in the 
198 


A VISITING LADY 


yard by appearing suddenly before him with 
red legs. As Weejums had never cared for 
cranberry sauce, and always refused it on her 
turkey, it was very trying to have to lap so 
much of it off her paws, and she had scarcely 
polished one toe, when for no reason whatever, 
a boarder upstairs put her head out of the 
window and called Scat 1 ” This was entirely 
uncalled for, as Weejums had done and said 
nothing; but the lack of sympathy in it dis- 
gusted her so much that she slanted back her 
eyes and ears in the most Chinese of “dig- 
nities,” and jerking her tail stiffly, walked out 
of the place. 

She did not know, of course, that the boys 
across the street were getting up a circus, or 
she would not have ventured into their yard. 
But they had always seemed like kind boys, so 
she was not particularly alarmed when one of 
them pounced on her and, holding her up, 
called to the others, “Hi, come and see the 
red-legged cat ! ” 

Red-legged cat ! Red-legged cat ! ” they 
199 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


exclaimed in delight, and the biggest one said. 
We ’ll have her for the side-show. Ten pins 
admission. Make the sign. Bob.” 

So Weejums was carried into a kind of tent 
made of sheets, where several freshly washed 
guinea-pigs were whining in their box, and a 
goat, with a cocked hat on, bore the label of 
“Only Genuine Bearded Wanderoo — Fresh 
from Africa.” 

“ Chain up the Duck-bill Platypus, quick 
there ! ” called Bob, as a wretched little street 
dog jumped and bit vainly at Weejums* tail. 

“Now then, big letters — ” he ordered, as 
the boys began to make the sign, “ Like this. 
I’ll show you: COME AND SEE THE 
RED-LEGGED — ” 

But at this point Weejums escaped from 
under his arm, and having stopped an instant 
to claw the “ Duck-bill Platypus,” departed in 
great haste from the scene. The boys dropped 
their sign and followed, but she soon left them 
behind, and no one who came to the circus 
ever found out who it was that had red legs. 

200 


A VISITING LADY 


Weejums visited no more yards after that, 
but skirted along the edges of lawns, and when 
any one looked at her, shot up a tree. But as 
most of the people who appeared to be look- 
ing at her were really looking at something 
else, it is quite likely that she went up more 
trees than were necessary. 

Soon after she had washed off the cranberry 
sauce, a little girl drove along in a dog-cart 
with a lady beside her and a groom behind. 
And this time Weejums did not run up a tree, 
because the little girl’s curls reminded her of 
Eunice. 

“ Why, Auntie, it ’s Octavia ! ” she said, pull- 
ing up her horse; “it’s Mrs. Slocum’s Octa- 
via ! Some one must have stolen her and 
brought her way out here.” 

My dear, are you sure? ” asked the lady, 
as the child scrambled out of the cart. 

‘‘ Sure ? Why every marking is the same ! 
The white nose, orange cape, and bronze lights 
on the paws. Come, Octavia, come, dear 
kitty — I ’ll take you home ! ” 

201 


THE ALLEY CAT^S KITTEN 


“ I 'm not Octavia,” mewed Weejums ; ‘‘but 
I *m tired of boarding-house life, and will be 
glad to visit with you until my family gets 
settled/' 

“ See, I believe she knows me ! " said the 
child whom the lady called “ Marian." 
“We 'll take her right in on the train with us, 
— won’t we. Auntie ? And won't Mrs. Slocum 
be pleased ? ” 

“ Yes, she was terribly distressed last night,” 
said Marian's aunt. “You know she said that 
Octavia had never run away before, and was 
afraid she had been stolen. I suppose she 
must have escaped from the people who car- 
ried her off. Dear me, it 's fortunate we 
found her ! And the Cat Show beginning 
to-morrow ! ” 

“Mrs. Slocum will think it's pretty dread- 
ful that they carried her out of town,” said 
Marian. 

“It's natural that they should. She’s too 
valuable to exhibit near home,” said the Aunt. 

Now Weejums had not listened to any of 
202 


A VISITING LADY 


this, because she was watching the view from 
the dog-cart, and wishing that Torn-nose 
might see her ; but when they stopped at a 
grocer^s, and she was bundled into a covered 
basket, she began to think that something 
might be wrong. A little later she smelled 
engine-smoke, and knew by the rattle and 
noise that they were on the train, going she 
knew not where. 

After this came the jingle of street-cars, and 
then a long, smooth ride in a queer kind of 
carriage driven by some one up in the air. 

“ Number — , Fifth Avenue, Ma’am,” called 
the man over their heads, and Weejums felt 
herself being carried up steps to a door which 
opened almost before the bell was rung. 

‘‘Oh, Fennels!” said Marian. “Is Mrs. 
Slocum in ? We Ve found Octavia ! Only 
think ! ” 

“ Very good. Miss. But the cat come home 
last night. Miss. They Ve been bath-ing her 
to-day for the show.” 

“ Octavia is back — is here ? But she can’t 


203 


THE ALLEY CATS KITTEN 


be, Fennels, because 1 Ve got her in my 
basket/' 

‘‘ Beg pardon. Miss Marian, but I don't see 
how that could be, as I just saw the cat in the 
hall. But if you and Mrs. Armstrong would 
come in. Miss, while I speak to Mrs. Slocum." 

“ Then if Octavia is here," said Marian, in 
despair, “ Auntie, what cat is it that we have 
in the basket ? " 


204 


OCTAVIA 


CHAPTER FIFTEEN 

OCTAVIA 

HEY went in, and, uncovering 
the basket, allowed Weejums to 
stretch her cramped paws and 
tail on the most beautiful plush 
sofa that she had ever seen, — 
and gaze with interested green eyes on the 
pictures and statuary around her. There were 
several long mirrors in the room, and Wee- 
jums admired herself in each by turn, until 
she came to what seemed another, when, greatly 
to her astonishment, her own reflection slanted 
back its ears and spit at her. 

What cat is this? ” asked a strange voice, 
and Weejums saw her reflection hastily picked 
up by a lady in a lace gown, while the reflec- 
tion continued to spit and growl. 

205 



THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


‘‘We thought 'twas Octavia,” faltered 
Marian ; “ but that must be Octavia in your 
arms, and, oh, I ’m afraid we Ve carried off 
somebody else’s cat ! '' 

“ She 's the living image of Octavia, if you 
have,*' said Mrs. Slocum, kneeling down to 
examine Weejums. “ Where did you find her, 
Marian ? ” 

And the story of Weejums’ discovery was 
told, while Mrs. Slocum thanked and petted 
Marian for all the trouble that she had taken. 

“ It might be Octavia’s own kitten,” Mrs. 
Slocum said, “ except that Octavia never had 
one so like herself.” 

“Your house may be beautiful,” said Wee- 
jums to Octavia ; “ but your manners are cer- 
tainly common,” and before any one could 
interfere, she had dabbed Octavia on the nose, 
with a most unlady-like spit. 

“ Fennels — Fennels ! ” called Mrs. Slocum. 
“ Marian dear, would you mind putting the 
strange cat in her basket for a minute ? That ’s 
right, thank you, dear. Now, if you don’t 
206 


OCT A VI A 


know whose she is, why not take her back to 
Montrose and put an advertisement in the 
paper ? Somebody must be feeling terribly at 
losing her, and I should really like to know 
where she came from/* 

“ Marian was going to spend the night with 
me, and go to the Cat Show to-morrow,** said 
Mrs. Armstrong. “ I suppose there is no 
great hurry about returning the cat. It is n*t 
as if *twas a baby.** 

“ Oh, Auntie, I hope no one will answer 
the advertisement,** said Marian, squeezing 
the basket. Only think of having an Octa- 
via for my very own ! ** 

“Well, we *11 see you to-morrow,** said Mrs. 
Slocum, as her guests took their leave, and 
parting spits were exchanged between the two 
ladies of tortoise-shell complexion. 

So it happened that when Mrs. Wood and 
her children stopped, in utter joy and astonish- 
ment, before Octavia*s cage at the Cat Show, 
they received a cordial welcome from two 
strange ladies and a little girl. 

207 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


‘‘It’s Weejums!” exclaimed Mrs. Wood, 
and Franklin in the same breath. 

“It’s Weejums !” said Kenneth. “Some- 
body stole her and fixed her up for the show ! ” 
“ Does n’t she look whacking !” said Frank- 
lin. “ They’re not going to keep her, though. 
Somebody will be arrested for this ! ” 

“It’s not, either,” said Eunice, struggling 
to keep back the tears, for at first she too had 
thought it was. “ Don’t you see — her ex- 
pression is entirely different?” 

It ’s a wise child that knows its own cat, 
and Eunice, the little mother, could not be 
deceived in her Weejums. 

“ Have you lost a kitty ? ” asked Marian, 
taking Eunice by the hand. “ A sweet kitty 
that looks just like this one? And do you 
live in Montrose ? I think I saw your brother 
on the street.” 

“ Yes — yes, yes,” answered Eunice to each 
question. “Weejums fell through the floor 
on to an old lady’s head, and — ” this was 
almost too much to recount — “the old lady 
^o8 


OCTAVIA 


chased her out of the house. She did n't come 
home last night." 

‘‘ Well, I found her ! " said Marian, trium- 
phantly ; “ so don't feel bad any more. I 
found her — do you hear ? She 's at Auntie's 
house now, and you can take her right home." 

‘‘Would you mind telling me where you 
got the cat P " asked Mrs. Slocum, politely, of 
Mrs. Wood. 

“In Alleston, where we lived," was the an- 
swer. “She came to us in such a strange 
way — " and she started to tell the story of 
the Alley Cat, but Mrs. Slocum interrupted 
her quite excitedly. 

“In Alleston, did you say ? Why, we have 
relatives in Alleston, and Octavia has visited 
there with us, have n't you, pusskins ? And 
she had some kittens there too, but they all 
died, that is, all except a hideous brindled thing 
that ran away. We 've always felt ashamed of 
that kitten." 

“ Then if Octavia's kitten was brindle, 
our cat that the little girl found is Octavia's 
209 


14 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


grandchild/’ said Mrs. Wood; “ we Ve always 
felt that Weejums must have good blood, 
although she is sometimes a little brusque in 
her manners.” 

‘‘ Can’t you all come home to luncheon 
with me ? ” asked Mrs. Armstrong, and see 
your cat ? After all, it may not be the same 
one. It would be too extraordinary if it was.” 

“We ’ll come and see you with pleasure,” 
said Mrs. Wood, thanking her; “but the 
children were to meet their uncle for luncheon 
at Dorlon’s. He has promised them a 
lobster, and I ’m hoping that this excitement 
over Weejums will make them forget it.” 

So after they had admired a few more of the 
cats, particularly the Angoras, which looked, 
Kenneth said, “ as if their fur needed weed- 
ing,” the whole party took the Elevated to 
West 8 1 St Street, and walked over to Mrs. 
Armstrong’s house, opposite the Park, where, 
in an upper window, lined with Nile-green 
pillows, a familiar form was balanced upon 
a pot of white azalea, catching flies. 


210 


OCTAVIA 


“ It is ! cried Eunice, giving Marian a 
hug. ‘‘Yes, it is!” 

“ Are you sure ? ” asked Marian, a little dis- 
appointed. “ I was almost hoping it would n’t 
be, so that I could keep her. She ’s so sweet, 
you know I ” 

“ I know better than any one,” said Eunice, 
seriously. “You see, she’s my cat. Of 
course you wouldn’t exactly understand my 
feelings about her — if you never had a cat.” 

Weejums was delighted to see Eunice, but 
howled wrathfully when, after luncheon, she 
was thrust into her basket and carried back to 
the hated boarding-house. 

“ It won’t be for long,” Eunice whispered 
in her ear, as she was banished to the laundry, 
instead of being allowed to spend the evening 
in the parlor. 

The children pleaded for her, and explained 
to the old lady that it must have been much 
more painful for Weejums to fall heavily on a 
hard bald head, than it was for the head to 
catch a nice furry Weejums. But when the 


2II 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


old lady took off her cap it really did seem, 
judging from the appearance of the head, as 
if Weejums had danced a hornpipe on it before 
reaching the floor. 

‘^The cat mustn’t come into the front of 
the house again,” the landlady decided, and 
was not at all moved when Eunice said piti- 
fully, It ’s an accident that might happen to 
any one who tried to lie down on a hole.” 

Both cats slept in the laundry; but, as Wee- 
jums was in disgrace, Mrs. Winslow would not 
speak to her, and, ignoring the other half of 
their bed, went off and lay down gingerly on 
some bars of soap. 

It was in the middle of the night that Mrs. 
Winslow waked herself with a great sneeze, 
and saw Weejums sniffing nervously around a 
crack in the floor. 

“ Mice ? ” asked Mrs. Winslow, quite for- 
getting that they were not on speaking 
terms. 

“ No, smoke,” answered Weejums, with con- 
tempt. ‘‘It is evident that the two sides of 


212 


OCTAVIA 


your nose don’t match any better than your 
eyes.” 

There should n’t be smoke at this time of 
night,” said Mrs. Winslow, uneasily, “ should 
there ? ” 

“ No,” said Weejums, “ there never has 
been before.” 

‘‘There’s a broken pane of glass in the out- 
side window,” said Mrs. Winslow, jumping up. 
“ The smoke is getting so thick we ’d better 
go out in the garden.” 

“ I think we ought to tell somebody about 
it,” said Weejums. 

“Why should we?” asked Mrs. Winslow, 
lazily. “ No one else sleeps in the laundry. 
Besides you could n’t get upstairs.” 

“Yes, I could, through the hole where 
they pass the dishes in the butler’s pantry. 
Hannah left it open last night.” 

“ If I ’d known that,” said Mrs. Winslow, 
crossly, “ we could have slept in the parlor 
to-night. Why did n’t you — ” 

But at that moment a larger puff of smoke 
213 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


came up through the crack, and Mrs. Winslow 
made a leap for the window, found the broken 
pane of glass, and was gone. Weejums ran 
into the butler’s pantry, took a still higher 
leap to the little window, and in another 
minute was scratching and mewing at Mrs. 
Wood’s door. 

‘‘Be still, Weejums! ” she called softly, so 
as not to wake the children. “ Go down- 
stairs, bad cat 1 ” 

“ Oh, please come 1 ” called Weejums again 
and again, “please, please come! ” 

And at last Mrs. Wood went; but before 
Weejums could guide her to the laundry, she 
had smelled the smoke, and in a few minutes 
the household was roused. People bundled 
out of their beds, and into the street just in 
time, before the flames came up through the 
laundry floor, and the engines were in the 
yard. The fire was soon out, owing, as the 
firemen said, to its having been discovered so 
early, and all the boarders gathered around 
Weejums with embraces and grateful tears. 

214 


OCTAVIA 


It 's bad to have your head clawed,” said 
the queerest of the old ladies, who had left her 
room attired in a flannel petticoat and a seal- 
skin jacket, but it ’s much worse to be burned 
alive.” 

And before Weejums went away, all the old 
ladies clubbed together, and bought her an 
uncomfortable silver collar with her name on 
it, and a jingling padlock that scared the mice. 

But something had happened that more 
than made up to Weejums for having to wear 
this collar and seem grateful for it. 

When the fire was over, Mrs. Winslow was 
found in the back yard, up a tree ! 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


CHAPTER SIXTEEN 

CHRISTMAS EVE 

T was Christmas Eve again, and 
Mrs. Wood sat alone with 
Weejums before the fire down- 
stairs. Franklin had stayed up 
to help fill the stockings ; but 
now he too was gone, and the ticking of the 
clock sounded very loud. 

It was the first Christmas Eve that she had 
ever spent by herself, and her thoughts went 
back to the time when the children’s father 
had been with her, and the last few hours of 
this day were the most beautiful in all the 
year. 

When Grandmother was there, she kept one 
from thinking too much, although she too 
may have remembered other Christmases, spent 
with him who had been the children’s father, 
216 



CHRISTMAS EVE 


and her little boy. But Grandmother was not 
here to-night, and there was nothing to keep 
one from thinking — nothing at all. 

Down on the rug Weejums was busily wash- 
ing Octavius, the beautiful kitten who was to 



“A CHRISTMAS PRESENT, WITH EUNICE’S LOVE” 

go as a Christmas present, with Eunice’s love, 
to Marian Armstrong. Weejums did not 
know why he was named Octavius, or that 
it was her own grandparent on whom she 
had called in New York, and at whom she 
had spit. 


217 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


‘‘ Weejums ! ” called Mrs. Wood, softly, 
dear little kitty, come and speak to me ! ” 
Weejums rose with an answering purr, and, 
leaving Octavius asleep in a ring of his own 
baby tail, leaped upon her lap. It seemed 
to Mrs. Wood that Weejums’ attitude towards 
the children had changed since she grew older, 
and her kittens came. At first she had 
thought Eunice was her mother ; but now she 
realized that Eunice was only a kitten, after 
all, and that Mrs. Wood was nearer her own 
age. 

They sat watching the fire together until the 
coals whitened, and the clock slowly struck 
twelve. Then Mrs. Wood gave a few last 
touches to the stockings hung in the shadows, 
and went upstairs. But as she entered her 
room, there was a sound of soft little paws 
beside her, and a comforting Pu-r-r-eow ! ” in 
the darkness, for Weejums had left her kitten, 
and gone with the companion who needed her 
most. 

She never followed me like this before,” 
218 


CHRISTMAS EVE 


Mrs. Wood thought. “Is it possible that 
she knew I was lonely to-night, — that she felt 
a difference ? ” 

Weejums did not explain what she thought, 
but when Mrs. Wood was in bed, curled down 
beside her with a drowsy purr most soothing 
to hear. 

“ I ’m glad she 's here,” thought Eunice’s 
mother. “ I don’t feel much like sleep to- 
night, and it’s nice to have — somebody.” 

“ Purr-pu-r-r,” said Weejums, softly. “Purr- 
r-r-r.” 

“ It was just six years ago to-night — ” Mrs. 
Wood began thinking. 

“ Pur-r-pu-r-r-r.” 

Why, how loud that purr was growing! ever 
so much more like an alarm-clock than a purr, 
and it ended with a sharp “ bu-r-r Ting ! ” 
Mrs. Wood sat up and rubbed her eyes. 
Yes, it was the alarm clock that she had set 
last night; Weejums was no longer there, 
and she heard a joyous shout from Kenneth’s 


room. 


219 


THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 


Why, I Ve been asleep ! ” she said with a 
laugh. 

The Alley Cat’s kitten had done her 
work; for it was six o’clock, and Christmas 
morning. 



WEEJUMS 


220 





i 







\ 


I 


1 




A 


■I. 





» I 


4 


r . 





f. 




V 




» 


I 







New Books for the Young 


IN THE MIZ 

By Grace E. Ward. With eight pictures in color and 
numerous illustrations in the text from pen-and-ink 
drawings by Clara E. Atwood. Small 4to. $1.50. 

O EVEN delightfully fanciful and humorous stories for young 
1^ readers, told in simple language. They deal with the im- 
possiblej and have much harmless fun. Children who love 
“ Alice in Wonderland ” will open wide their eyes when they 
read of the marvellous transformations described. 

LITTLE ALMOND BLOSSOMS 

By Jessie Juliet Knox. With sixteen illustrations 
from photographs of Chinese children in California. 
12mo. $1.50. 

A CHARMING and original book of stories of Chinese boys 
and girls, by an author who depicts them from life. The 
scenes are laid principally in “ Chinatown,” San Francisco, 
and the experiences of the little Mongolians will delight all 
juvenile readers. The books are faithfully illustrated from 
photographs. 

THE ALLEY CAT’S KITTEN 

By Caroline M. Fuller. With full-page illustrations 
by H. C. Ireland and cuts in text by John Huybers. 
12mo. $1.50. 

T he alley cat leaves her kitten at the door of a hospitable 
house, and it is presented to Eunice in her Christmas 
stocking. The author has a strong sense of humor, a genuine 
love for the feline race, and a thorough insight into the child’s 
love of domestic animals. 

THE NUBSERY EIRE 

By Rosalind Richards. Illustrated with full-page plates 
and illustrations in the text by Clara E. Atwood. 
Small 4to. Decorated cloth, $1.50. 

T hese dainty and entertaining short stories are written 
for children and about children. The author is a daughter 
of Mrs. Laura E. Richards, the popular author of “ The 
Golden Windows,” “Captain January,” and the “ Toto ” 
stories. 


Popular Books for Girls 


Miss Ray’s Final “ Teddy ” Story 

NATHALIE’S SISTER. A sequel to “ Ursula’s Fresh- 
man.” By Anna Chapin Ray, author of " Teddy, 
Her Book,” etc. Illustrated by Alice Barber 

Stephens. 12mo. Cloth, $1.50. 

T he many lovers of Miss Ray’s delightful “ Teddy ” stories 
will regret to learn that, with the publication of this, the 
sixth book in the series, the records of the sayings and doings 
of Teddy and the rest of the McAlister family come to an 
end. The book is as charming, entertaining, and natural as 
the previous stories, which have all become great favorites. 
“ Miss Ray’s work draws instant comparison with the best of 
Miss Alcott’s,” says The Christian Register^ Boston. 

THE “ TEDDY" BOOKS 

TEDDY: HER BOOK NATHALIE’S CHUM 

PHEBE: HER PROFESSION URSULA’S FRESHMAN 

TEDDY: HER DAUGHTER NATHALIE’S SISTER 

6 voIb. 12mo. Illustrated. $1.50 each 

First Book in Miss Reed's New Series 

IRMA AND NAP. A Story for Younger Girls. By 
Helen .Leah Reed, author of Brenda, Her School 
and Her Club,” Brenda’s Cousin at Radcliffe,” etc. 
Illustrated. 12mo. Cloth, $1.25. 

A BRIGHTLY written story about children from eleven to 
thirteen years of age, who live in a suburban town, and 
attend a public grammar school. The book is full of incident 
of school and home life. Irma and Gertrude, the two girl 
characters, are contrasts in disposition. Nap, a pet dog, 
plays an important part in the story. The book deals with 
real life, and is told in the simple and natural style which 
characterized Miss Reed’s popular “Brenda” stories. 

By the Same Author 

BRENDA: HER SCHOOL AND HER CLUB 

BRENDA’S SUMMER AT ROCKLEY 

BRENDA’S COUSIN AT RADCLIFFE 

BRENDA’S BARGAIN 
4 vols. 12ino. Illustrated. $1.50 each 


LITTLE, BROWN, & COMPANY, Publishers 
254 WASHINGTON STREET, BOSTON, MASS. 


Recent Books for the Young 


THE GOLDEN WINDOWS. A Book of Fables for 
Old and Young. By Laura E. Richards, author of 
Captain January/’ “The Joyous Story of Toto,” 
etc. Popular Edition, with frontispiece and orna- 
mental initials. ]2mo. Decorated cloth, $1.00. 

“ A CHARMING book of simple but delicately imagined 
J\. and beautifully written stories,” says the Philadelphia 
Press of Mrs. Richards’ new book of forty-four fables. 2'he 
Outlook (New York) says: “There is an original touch in Mrs. 
Richards’ writing that gives fresh pleasure in this volume. It 
is fitly named, for the book is a window into a realm as beau- 
tiful as it is real.” 

THE AWAKENING OF THE DUCHESS. By 
Frances Charles, author of “In the Country God 
Forgot,” etc. With illustrations in color by I. H. 
Caliga. 12mo. Decorated cloth, $1.50. 

“ A CHARMING, tender story of the awakening of a young 
XA. mother to her true self through the ministrations of 
her half-forgotten child, told so simply that a child can 
understand it,” is the Washington Star's opinion of Miss 
Charles’s latest story. The Literary News (New York) con- 
siders the story “deeply touching in tender sentiment and 
full of gentle humor. With its tinted illustrations, by I. H. 
Caliga, and its pretty green and gold covers, the story is a 
welcome exponent of the gospel of love and tenderness.” 

A DAUGHTER OF THE RICH. By M. E. Waller, 
author of “The Little Citizen,” etc. Illustrated. 
12mo. Decorated cloth, $1.50. 

T he Boston Herald says that the author “has the genuine 
Louisa M. Alcott sympathy with boy and girl life, and 
the story is replete with interesting conversation and bright 
incident ; ” and the St. Louis Globe-Democrat points out that 
“ the author has gotten away from many stereotyped themes, 
and has introduced as her heroine a little girl — the child of 
a rich father — who has to leave New York on account of ill 
health.” 


LITTLE, BROWN, & COMPANY, Publishers 
254 WASHINGTON STREET, BOSTON, MASS. 


New Illustrated Editions of 
Miss Alcott’s Famous Stories 


LITTLE MEN : Life at Plumfield with Jo’s Boys 

With 15 full-page illustrations by Reginald B. Birch. 

“ Little Men ” has never been given to an admiring public in any form so charming as 
this one. All that was needed to make the tale quite irresistible was such illustrations as 
are here supplied, fifteen full-page ones instinct with life and movement and charm. — 
Boston Budget. 

LITTLE WOMEN : or Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy 

With 15 full-page illustrations by Alice Barber Stephens. 

“ Books may come and books may go, but ‘ Little Women’ still remains the ideal book for 
young girls, the best representation of bright, lovable girlhood,” says the Brooklyn Eagle. 
‘‘ In drawing women of the Civil War period, Alice Barber Stephens is in her element, 
and her illustrations are all that can be desired,” says the Philadelphia Telegraph. 

AN OLD-FASHIONED GIRL 

With 12 full-page pictures by Jessie Willcox Smith. 

No better portraits of Polly and Tom could be imagined than those which appear in these 
pages. . . . No book 01 its lamented author has more endearing qualities. — Boston 
Saturday Evening Gazette, 

JO’S BOYS, and How They Turned Out 

A Sequel to “ Little Men.” With 10 full-page plates by Ellen Wetherald 
Ahrens. 

“ The young folks who have been charmed with Miss Alcott’s previous stories,” says the 
San Francisco Chronicle,, “will read ‘Jo’s Boys’ with avidity.” The illustrations are 
in keeping with the spirit of the author. 

EIGHT COUSINS ; or, the Aunt-Hill 

With 8 full-page pictures by Harriet Roosevelt Richards. 

The little heroine and her seven cousins are real children. — Providence Journal. 

ROSE IN BLOOM 

A Sequel to “Eight Cousins.” With 8 full-page pictures by Harriet 
Roosevelt Richards. 

The best from its author’s pen since “ Little Women ” was written.— York Evenim 
Post. ^ 

CROWN 8 vo. DECORATED CLOTH. $2.00 EACH. 


LITTLE, BROWN, £s? COMPANY 

Publishers, 154 WASHINGTON STREET, BOSTON, MASS. 


. I 

' I 

■ I 





jM 


V • V ',t ','i 

' r:' ■; 'I . 




•S ' 


' i 

I 


WJr 




I ' ■ 


* I 


: 4 i_Nar., % 

,J.\ ■ •' 


^ • ' 't 


'.''I 


»'■ > >•. 



" 'i f '*■ ■ I) \ * rr.' J ' ' yi/lS '* ' 

r! *'■'./ 'r, I 




V 




ms 




SHBsSiTK'/'l'' 'L' ,’*■ 1.* *!•;.> sHt 







/I'"/- » lA^',• , r rtv' < V) v/i ‘MAyt . J ' mrfl • 


,■ ■' '; ,v' '■ ,. ' ■ .■ 


rKI * . ‘i’ '•. ' 'lT ' IN)i » ikVV»V« •%' 

.V vM.' ,1 .•‘■■ 4 .1^ W’lvi-SV'''; If 




»•.' V v'/; ./!:•' 



■‘■'.Ml'' /'v/‘ 'k 

• ■■ ■' .' 'M! AvA^Wji^v:; 





‘I 


,)■ ;•- I ' j , ‘i- '■ • ' V t'v '. ,' 

■•■'A'lit’if'iM ‘','^^I'^»^i ’Vt' Ui'LvflU' ‘ ' '’ '•*■ 

(VSW ^lkM■|4 W^’: ^. 




. t 





lipil 


• .■ Ja: ’v;;si 


tV:i 




V'lV 'V' r'M 
lv\ ;)»•.» k* 1' 







. •- ' r "'j i ' ^ , ' I lU’ ' 

.' ' • N 1 i.i\i . *' k ' N .lV 


/•n|i A 

.ye,;'. 

it’ 









'i' i ;■’ 1' 

M ‘ 1 •W'vi'i .A' K’i 




t,‘ 1 ’<^'4:1 ..N. 


^ 1 ) > 



' '.V • 






Vi " ■' ■ 

';''>/',*'h'v^W:*i'-iAl > ' ' k*'. VcJlW 




«r>r 











SEP, 1 6 




1. 






m. 


\ 



' ** ' jl' ‘ ^ 1 ' 






•uvy 


:ir 






.• I 


> 




tmw' 




* »' 







«- II 


> 


.1.^ 


i .'j 




* • 


. ffe' 

:J, ■, ■• .\ J 


,( *•*)>'< I ' '. . ' < • ■ * 








-fi 




.k 


*• V . 

f V 

' ,^; 


< < ' I 




1 1 


l» 


4. 


(i''’ *>'!>/'!“*• ' JM,; ■' 

'.• «■» i^4«^WTFP 





I A' 


» » I 




‘ »hJ* 




1^'yv 


lA-f 


V. «*' 


if*®.'®' ' '■i*>M‘>t mKm 

®il»"iy'-k'V?'',"?‘ ‘fi, ,:. , 




W" v 


§M 









